Chief Dennis Rubin - Chief of Department - Washington, DC Fire & EMS

Dennis L. Rubin is the Chief of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department for the District of Columbia. He was named as Mayor Adrian Fenty’s top choice to head the agency in March 2007. Chief Rubin is now responsible for the management and supervision of more than 2000 employees and an annual operating budget in excess of $170 million. The resident population of Washington D.C is approximately 600,000, but the influx of federal workers and tourists can expand the daily population to 1.5 million. The agency is the nation’s first responder, responsible for safeguarding the US Capitol, the White House, and other precious landmarks, schools, businesses and homes. Prior to his nomination, Mr. Rubin was Chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, which has 1150 employees and a yearly operational budget exceeding $88 million. The City of Atlanta is the “Heart of the South” and is an international center for trade, commerce as well as tourism. Chief Rubin’s experience in fire and rescue service spans more than 35 years. He has been a line firefighter, company grade officer and command level officer in several major fire departments including Washington, DC and Norfolk, Virginia. In 1994, he served as the President of the State Fire Chiefs Association of Virginia. Mr. Rubin was the host Fire Chief for the 1999 Southeastern Fire Chiefs Association conference held in Dothan, Alabama. He serves on several committees with the International Association of Fire Chiefs, including a two-year term as the Health and Safety Committee Chair. Chief Rubin was the host Fire Chief for the “Wingspread IV and V” conferences held in 1996 and 2006.

Chief Ron Coleman - Senior Vice President - Emergency Service Consulting, Inc.

Ronny J. Coleman quotes OSHA regulations, Alexandre Dumas, and 19th-century Italian economists with equal ease. He's a study in contradictions: a teen runaway with a master's degree; a small-town fire chief who led one of the world's largest firefighting forces; and a visionary who cherishes the fire service's traditions. He has proudly served in the fire service for 44 years. Chief Coleman has been engaged in over 200 consulting projects during his professional career. Ron serves as the President Emeritus of the Fire Education & Training Network, otherwise known as FETN. He also serves as a technical consultant to the International Code Council (ICC) on code issues and the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) related to GIS mapping. He has served as the California State Fire Marshal and retired as Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He served as the president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Previously, he was operations chief for the city of Costa Mesa and fire chief for the cities of Fullerton and San Clemente, California.

Chief Ron Kanterman - Chief of Public Safety - Merck Pharmaceutical – Rahway, NJ

Ron Kanterman entered the fire service in 1975 in Brooklyn, New York. In 1980, he was assigned to the FDNY Fire Prevention Bureau where he served until 1989, when he took a position as the Assistant Chief of Fire Protection for a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company. He was promoted to Chief of Emergency Services in 1994 where he currently serves as the Chief of Public Safety. He holds a BA in Fire Service Administration and a MS in Fire Protection Management, both from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Chief Kanterman is an adjunct professor of Fire Science at Middlesex County College in Edison, N.J. and the John Jay College Graduate Program of Protection Management. Ron is a volunteer Call Force firefighter in, and was the OEM Coordinator for, the Borough of North Plainfield in Somerset County New Jersey. Most important to him, Ron is an avid volunteer with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and works as the Chief of Operations each year at the National Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Daniel B.C. Gardiner, CFPS - Risk Control Specialist - Cyber Comp

Daniel B.C. Gardiner is a Risk Control Specialist, focusing on accident & injury, and workers compensation for Cyber Comp, a subsidiary of General Electric. He retired as the Fire Chief of Fairfield Connecticut after a career of over 30-years. He remains a Nationally Certified, Fire Officer II, Fire Instructor II, and Certified Fire Protection Specialist. He currently is a member of the Certified Fire Protection Specialist Board of Directors, serving his fourth term. He is a former president of the Fire Department Safety Officers Association, as well as the International Society of Fire Service Instructors. Chief Gardiner holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fire Science and holds two Masters Degrees, one in Public Administration and one in Fire Science Technology, and speaks nationally on fire fighter safety, fire department operations, fire service finance, fire department training, and futuristic fire suppression and fire protection issues.

Jeff Dyar - EMS Program Chair (Retired) - National Fire Academy

Jeff Dyar is the former Program Chair for EMS/Health & Safety at the National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, Maryland. Mr. Dyar has worked in public, private, municipal, military, academic and federal capacities. Known for his team building skills and participative management style, Jeff has been recognized by many audiences as an innovative visionary who has a talent for leading people. One such effort was rewarded by the President and Vice-President of the United States at a White House ceremony. Jeff is the recipient of the James O. Page Award from the International Association for Fire Chiefs for recognition of lifelong contributions to EMS nationally. He has commanded small and large events and disasters, such as the World Trade Center on 9/11, as well as working with federal agencies to include: FEMA, FBI, ATF, and the White House Disaster Planning Office on emergency response to terrorism issues.

Norm Rooker - Chief Paramedic - Ouray County, CO EMS

Norm Rooker has been involved in EMS since 1973. He is currently a paramedic and chief of Ouray County EMS in southwestern Colorado. Norm is a popular speaker on the national EMS, fire & rescue lecture circuit including FIRE-RESCUE WEST; EMS EXPO, the annual educational conference sponsored by EMS Magazine; OUTLOOK, the annual educational conference for the National Association of EMTs; SAR, the annual education conference for NASAR, the National Association for Search and Rescue, as well as numerous state and local conferences. Norm has served as faculty for multiple EMT, Paramedic and Fire Science training programs in both the industrial, community college and university settings. He has been a Heavy Rescue Instructor for the California State Fire Marshal’s Office, an EMT-T and is a member of his department’s surf and cliff rescue teams and technical rescue committee.