NERDSTOCK 2024 - OUR EXPERTS…

UL's Fire Safety Research Institute

Research Program Manager

Derek Alkonis is a Research Program Manager with Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), at UL Research Institutes. He manages the implementation of organizational initiatives related to firefighter health and safety and spearheads efforts in addressing wildland urban interface fire challenges, a priority expansion area for FSRI research.

Prior to joining FSRI, Derek served 31 years with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, most recently as Assistant Fire Chief of the Air and Wildland Division. During his tenure with LACoFD, he responded to WUI fires throughout the state during the busiest wildfire seasons in California’s recorded history.

As LACoFD’s Director of Training, he developed and implemented innovative programs supporting fire ground tactics, survival, and firefighter health.

Currently, he is FSRI’s Maui Wildfire Comprehensive Review and Analysis Team Leader.

Derek earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California San Diego where he also played on the baseball team.

Science to the Station- Mental Health Group

Sub Committee Member

Rick Best is a nationally recognized leader in firefighter health and safety. He has more than 25 years of experience in fire service training, program development, and public speaking, and he currently serves as the Chief Training Officer for the Eastland Fairfield Career and Technologies Center Fire Programs. He previously served as the Everyone Goes Home Advocate Program Manager for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Rick Best's journey in the fire service began as a volunteer firefighter, a testament to his passion and dedication.

His hard work and commitment led him to a full-time position for the City of Westerville (OH) Division of Fire, where he served until his retirement in 2019. As a Credentialed Chief Training Officer, he spent 15 years on staff at the Ohio Fire Academy, a State Fire Marshal’s Office division.

Rick's expertise has been recognized through his invitations to present at various fire service events.

Rick holds a bachelor of science degree in Public Administration and a master’s degree in Strategic & Organizational Leadership from Neumann University.

He is the 2020 recipient of the Fire Department Safety Officers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his significant contributions to the health and safety of America’s firefighters.

University of Arizona

Professor

Dr. Burgess is a Professor and Director of the Firefighter Health Collaborative Research Program at the University of Arizona Zuckerman College of Public Health.

He received his MD from the University of Washington in 1988, an MS in Toxicology with a Concentration in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Arizona in 1993, and an MPH in Environmental Health from the University of Washington in 1996.

He previously worked as an Emergency Medicine physician, Medical Toxicologist, and Occupational and Environmental Medicine physician.

He has worked on research with firefighters for over 30 years, focused on cancer risk and prevention since 2015.

Dr. Burgess is also the Director of the national multicenter Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study (FFCCS), funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other organizations.

Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services

Chief of Staff

Dr. Michael A. Cunningham serves as Chief of Staff to the Fire Chief with Cobb County (Georgia) Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES).

He has spent his career as a firefighter and fire officer, as a training division instructor, and as a member of the administrative senior staff educating firefighters in the areas of fire behavior and firefighting tactics, leadership, career development, and diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Cunningham has a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology, a master’s degree in business administration, a bachelor’s degree in computer science, a bachelor’s degree in professional aeronautics, and an associate degree in avionic systems technology.

Additionally, he received his Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation from the CPSE Commission on Professional Credentialing, is a graduate of the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government EXCEL Management Development program, and is a member of the 2023 Cobb Chamber Leadership Cobb leadership program.

Cunningham is a U.S. Air Force veteran and has served in the fire service since 2005.

Fairfax County Fire & Rescue

Deputy Safety Programs Manager

Marc is a proud father of two fantastic adult human beings, married for thirty-three years and a thirty-nine year public servant with over eight years in the Marine Corps and thirty-one in fire and rescue. He volunteered in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Maryland and is a twenty-nine year veteran of Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department where he is a Captain. In Fairfax he served as a firefighter, Engine and Truck Company driver, Truck OIC, Engine OIC/shift leader, Safety Officer, and now as the Deputy Safety Programs Manager. He served in the Training Division as a Basic Training Officer and was charged with standing up the Officer Development Training Section for his Department. Marc is a Principal Member of the NFPA 1020 Technical Committee, a member of the 7th edition IFSTA Company Officer Textbook and 6th edition Company Officer Testbank Validation Committee, and a primary author for the Jones and Bartlett 4th edition Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills textbook. He dislikes long walks on the beach and hates golf. The culmination of his time in public service is the keen understanding that in any environment, effective training based on effective data is what leads to effective outcomes.

Tennessee Tech University

Assistant Professor

Dr. Edwards is a Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselor – Mental Health Service Provider.

He received his Master’s degree from Tennessee Technological University (2011) and a Doctoral degree from Trevecca Nazarene University (2016).

Derrick’s research focuses on the psychological impacts of being an emergency responder.

He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Tennessee Tech University where he operates the “TTU Responder Health Lab”.

Derrick joined the fire service in 2004 and is a licensed Advanced Emergency Medical Technician.

Wichita Fire Department / Inspire Health & Performance / NFFF

Chris is a long-standing member of the medical community in Wichita. He is a graduate of Wichita State University, with a degree in Exercise Science with an emphasis on Athletic Training and a Master’s of Science from Emporia State University.

Chris currently serves as the Executive Director of Inspire Health and Performance and specializes in Post-Concussion Rehabilitation & working with chronic pain patients.

Chris also serves as an Operations Captain and Peer Support Coordinator for the Wichita Fire Department with 25 years of service. Consequently, this enables Chris to have hands-on patient care daily in many diverse settings.

Chris currently serves as an Advocate and Fellow with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: Everyone Goes Home Program and serves on the Health and Wellness Committee with the First Responder Center for Excellence – FRCE.

Chris is extremely passionate about providing the highest level of care with empowering education to all the clients he serves.

Tucson Fire Department

Safety Captain/Liaison to Research

Beginning his career in the fire service in 1988, Captain John Gulotta joined the Tucson Fire Department (TFD) in 1997. He was promoted to Captain in 2005 and, in 2011, became the first Captain in TFD to hold the position of Health and Safety Program Coordinator. Captain Gulotta serves as the Southern Arizona Safety Officer Association chair and provides safety-related leadership to Southern Arizona fire service partners. Captain Gulotta has earned several awards for his service with TFD, including the Firefighter of the Year in 2012 and the Fire Chief’s Award in 2016.

Starting in 2015, Captain Gulotta and TFD began collaborating with the University of Arizona in several studies funded by FEMA to examine the link between occupational toxins in firefighters and increased cancer rates. The original 3-year FEMA-funded research study was designed to develop a framework to test our understanding of which fire ground exposures are responsible for cancer, how they cause cancer and the most effective means of reducing these exposures. This partnership has assisted in developing critical best practices for firefighter occupational cancer prevention in Tucson, AZ, and across the country. Captain Gulotta spearheaded a TFD implementation of three exposure prevention interventions, including post-fire wash down, engineers-on-air, and maintaining clean cab principles. Captain Gulotta also serves as a TFD representative for the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study (FFCCS.org). His goal is not to get firefighters home at the end of their shift but to ensure that they can fully enjoy their hard-earned pensions. 2023 Captain Gulotta was assigned to the University of Arizona as a research liaison.

NDRI-USA, Inc.

Associate Scientist

Dr. Hollerbach is an Associate Scientist and Deputy Director at the Center for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research, part of NDRI-USA.

She has extensive experience working with the fire service on a number of federally funded studies including as the Principal Investigator (PI) on an early career FEMA-funded study examining perceptions of protective strategies for COVID-19.

She is also working on several studies examining the health of women firefighters.

Dr. Hollerbach has an interest in firefighter health in general and health communication research, specifically, given her background as a former firefighter.

Co-owner and Chief Operating Officer for HeartFit For Duty & Vice President of the Science Alliance-Science to the Station.

RN-BSN,

Kepra works with various fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the country researching and educating members on relevant health risks specific to their jobs.

Kepra is a voting member on NFPA committees as well as the National LEO Medical Guidance committee.

Kepra and her organizations work with agencies using data to expand the scope of wellness programs and identify ways to increase funding and implement change within the public safety community.

Kepra and the HeartFit team partner with the Firefighter Cancer Cohort Study, NDRI-Center for Fire, Rescue and EMS Health Research, Skidmore University, First Responder Center of Excellence, National Fallen Fire Fighters, The 100 Club, University of Arizona and The Science Alliance to drive the needle forward to change habits and improve health.

AMKovalMD, LLC

Public Safety Physician

Alisa Koval MD, MPH, MHSA is the owner/principal of AMKovalMD LLC, which specializes in Occupational Health consulting & programming for individuals and high-risk public safety populations.

She currently serves as the Wellness Physician for the City & County of Denver Department of Safety, which includes the Denver Fire Department, the Denver Police Department, the Denver Sheriff Department, and 911 Dispatch.

Additionally, she provides annual physicals for the Westminster Fire Department and North Metro Fire Rescue District, in partnership with Injury Care Associates, a premier provider of occupational health services in the Denver Metro area.

Dr. Koval maintains her clinical practice at Vail Health, where she serves as the Medical Director of Occupational Health (2017-2020; 2023-present); and the Center for Occupational Safety & Health at Denver Health & Hospital Authority, where she previously served as the Medical Director and Division Head of Occupational Medicine (2016-2021).

She also served as the Associate Program Director of the Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency at the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado-Anschutz for 3 years, and continues to mentor residents and MPH students.

She is a Past President of the Rocky Mountain Academy of Occupational & Environmental Medicine and served as a member of the American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine House of Delegates.

Additionally, she previously served on the Board of Directors for Building Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to the mental health of first responders, and on the Annual Physicals Committee for the First Responder Center of Excellence, a subsidiary of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

She began her education at the University of Michigan, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Honors, followed by a Master of Health Service Administration. After spending a year as an Administrative Fellow at The Children’s Hospital of Denver, she went on to earn her MD from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in 2003. Before beginning her residency training, she worked as an internal consultant at New York-Presbyterian Hospital as a Six Sigma Black Belt.

She remained at NYP to complete her training in General Preventive Medicine & Public Health, where she received the Distinguished Housestaff Award in 2009 during which she earned a Master of Public Health from Columbia University in 2010.

She is a graduate of the Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency Program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, home to one of the largest post-9/11 World Trade Center Medical Monitoring & Treatment Programs in the country.

Her interests include Public Safety Medicine, teaching OEM trainees, and developing worksite wellness programs for employers based on the principles of lifestyle medicine.

First Responder Center for Excellence (FRCE)

Managing Director

Frank Leeb is the managing director of the First Responder Center for Excellence (FRCE).

He previously served as a Deputy Assistant Chief in the Fire Department of New York. Retiring in June 2024 with more than 31 years. During his tenure with the FDNY, he held several senior staff positions, including the Chief of the Fire Academy, Chief of Training, and Chief of Safety.

Frank has also been an East Farmingdale Fire Department member since 1983 (Long Island, NY).

Frank Leeb's career has been defined by his unwavering commitment to fostering growth through training and development, a central tenet of his leadership philosophy. He has lectured nationally and internationally on motivation, preparedness, leadership, strategy, and tactics.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in fire service administration from SUNY Empire State and a master’s degree in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS).

He has served as an advisory panel member for UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute’s (FSRI) “Study of Coordinated Attack in Acquired Structures”.

Frank was also the keynote speaker for Firehouse Expo in 2022 and was a presenter at the 2022 and 2023 U.S. Fire Administrator Summit on Fire Prevention and Control. He is also the author of the best-selling book “Cornerstones of Leadership - On And Off The Fireground”.

2nd Alarm Project, Inc

Director

Dr. Kellie O’Dare is an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management with the Institute of Public Health at Florida A&M University and the Founder and Executive Director of the 2nd Alarm Project. She is the Principal Investigator on $7.8 million in federal and state funding for first responder resiliency initiatives.

Dr. O’Dare has actively worked with dozens of Florida based agencies to conduct needs assessments, provide capacity building for peer support teams, and develop BHAP programs. She has conducted mental health training with hundreds of first responders, family members, and leadership teams and functioned as a behavioral health navigator and clinical advisor to peer support teams. She has also served on local and statewide critical incident activations and deployments, including to Surfside, FL in 2021 and Hurricane Ian in 2022. She frequently provides consultation and technical assistance to first responder organizations across the country on best practices in building mental wellness programs.

Dr O’Dare holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from Florida State University, where she also earned both Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master in Public Administration (MPA) degrees. She is an active researcher with over 50 publications, technical reports, and conference presentations, and has significant experience conceptualizing, designing, implementing, and evaluating large scale quantitative, geospatial, and mixed method research projects in both academic and applied settings.

Dr. O’Dare has meaningful personal linkages to the first responder community. She is the niece of Shawn T. O’Dare, firefighter/paramedic killed in the Line of Duty in Miami-Dade County, and the spouse of a current professional Florida panhandle firefighter/paramedic.

NC State University

Associate Professor

As a researcher at NC State University's Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC), Dr. Ormond has focused on developing test methods, standards, equipment, and ensembles for first responders and military personnel to address protection from chemical, particulate, and thermal hazards.

His most recent research has centered on reducing firefighter exposure to toxic chemicals through developing particulate-blocking PPE, assessing gear cleaning methods, evaluating on-scene decontamination methods, and investigating the impacts of PFAS and non-PFAS finishes and materials on PPE performance.

Okotoks Fire Department / Centre for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research

Assistant Chief / Instructional Designer

Assistant Chief Laurie VandeSchoot consistently advocates for diverse communities and the change initiatives necessary to shift culture.

She is an executive level change agent who is known for building inclusive and high-performing cultures that strengthen communities, while working in municipal government fire services (32 years) and consulting internationally (25 years). Laurie holds several interdisciplinary degrees, including an MSc in Sustainable Development; leads numerous international fire service programs and committees on diversity, executive leadership, and human relations; and has delivered over 500 training and development programs to emergency service, public service and post-secondary institutions on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Gender, Cultural Competency, LGBTQ+ Awareness, Leadership Development, Strategic Planning, and Mission Focused Transformation.

In recognition of her passion for diversity and inclusion, she received an Immigrants of Distinction, Organizational Diversity Award for outstanding achievements in implementing cultural diversity initiatives, and a Federation of Canadian Municipalities Award for outstanding contributions to international cooperation.

St. George Fire

Director of Wellness

Amanda J. Weathers-Meyer is the Director of Wellness for St. George Fire in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

In her role at St. George Fire, Dr. Weathers-Meyer is responsible for mental health programming, physical fitness programming, scientific research, and clinical mental health counseling with firefighters.

Her research area of focus involves improving the mental fitness of firefighters through bodily movement, mindfulness, and facilitating a greater mind-body connection. Dr. Weathers-Meyer’s clinical work focuses on trauma-informed care and culturally competent counseling practices with fire service members.

She holds a Ph.D. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in psychological sciences, an M.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis on exercise counseling, and an M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Louisiana.