Posts tagged: People news

• Sam Allen has been appointed as the new fire chief at Alexandria Fire Department, replacing former chief Larry King
• The City also announced the appointment of an interim chief of police at the Alexandria Police Department, Chad Gremillion
• The recent chief appointments and other new positions mark the completion of leadership changes to address public safety

The City of Alexandria in Louisiana has announced the appointment of Sam Allen as the new fire chief at the Alexandria Fire Department (AFD). With almost 15 years of experience at AFD and traveling across the US to teach fire science curriculum to fire and police personnel, Chief Allen was chosen out of 16 candidates who applied for the position to replace former AFD Chief Larry King, who retired from the department in December 2021.

The selection process had stalled under the previous administration, despite a fire chief being expected to be selected by the Fire and Police Civil Service Board in July 2022. However, the process ramped back up again when current Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy was elected into office during the November Primary election.

Interim Chief of Police

In addition to Chief Allen’s appointment, the City also announced an interim chief of police at the Alexandria Police Department. Interim Chief Chad Gremillion was officially sworn in on April 5, taking over the department for former Chief Ronney Howard, who transitioned into a new role as the Director of Public Safety Special Services. The search for a new APD Chief began on April 6, as Mayor Roy called for the police chief exam to be put out.

The City of Alexandria stated that the recent chief appointments at AFD and APD, along with several new positions, mark the completion of leadership changes to address public safety. At the fire department, Jeff Tarver will remain on staff as the Executive Officer for AFD, while for the police department, Chief Gremillion will also have assistance as Lt. Darrell Bradley was named as the Chief’s Executive Officer and Lillie Evans will return to Assistant Chief.

Performance Advantage Company (PAC) has announced the promotion of two of key employees as of 1 February 2023.

Greg Young, who is about to complete his 11th year with the company and most recently has served as PACs Vice President of Sales and Operations, has assumed the position of Senior Administrative Vice President’, solidifying his role in continuing to lay the groundwork for PACs growth and development into the future, as well as to ensure PAC’s long-term contribution in the emergency services industry.

One of Young’s key responsibilities is administering to the very important area of product development, as well as overseeing development in information technology, internal systems management, and oversight regarding intellectual properties.

Tom Trzepacz, who has served as a member of PAC’s Customer Support Team since 2007, has been promoted to the newly created position of Vice President of Sales and Customer Relations. Having served over 25 years as a firefighter and 17 of those as a Chief, Trzepacz’s position will see him serve as the “go to” person in administering to PAC’s very high standards in customer service and support. In addition, he is charged with the further development of programs and business relations in all industries served by PAC.

Commenting on the appointments, PAC said: “Both gentlemen have worked hard in achieving these positions, and we here at PAC are confident and proud, that with their leadership, PAC will continue to raise the bar in servicing our customer with high quality products, while maintaining competitive pricing, and the very best in customer service. Congratulations to Greg and Tom on achieving these well-earned positions.

“We would also like to acknowledge that show season is here! We can’t wait to get out and see you all and share what’s new with PAC! We have some exciting revisions to our current lineup of brackets as well as some new products we are eager to unveil.

“To find out what shows we will be attending and anything else PAC related, follow us on social media, give us a call or check out our website.”

The United Aerial Firefighters Association (UAFA) has announced two key appointments following the February 2023 launch of the association.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) veteran Paul Petersen was hired as the association’s first Executive Director and longtime US Forest Service (USFS)/US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Executive Tiffany Taylor joins the association as its Senior Policy Director.

Petersen will take over as Executive Director of UAFA on May 1, joining the association from the BLM in Reno, Nevada, where he currently serves as State Fire Management Officer. Petersen brings more than 30 years of industry experience to UAFA, starting his career as a seasonal wildland firefighter in 1992. He continued to rise through the ranks of the BLM, starting his current role in 2015.

As Executive Director, Petersen will serve as the voice and face of UAFA and will be responsible for its overall management. He will collaborate with his team to build membership, while continuing to cultivate his relationships with Congress, BLM, and the USFS.

“Protecting lives and property as a wildland firefighter and through my time at the BLM, I have seen firsthand the importance of aerial firefighting in protecting our communities and natural resources,” said Petersen.

“UAFA will play a critical role in advancing the aerial firefighting industry and promoting the safety and well-being of our firefighters. I look forward to building our membership and developing relationships with key industry partners and policymakers to ensure our firefighters have the resources and support they need to keep us safe from the threat of wildfires. We will work together to elevate the standard of aerial firefighting and make a lasting impact on the future of our profession.”

Taylor has started in her role as Senior Policy Director. She will develop and implement the association’s strategic policy objectives and will advocate for UAFA and its members with federal, state and local governments, partner industries and citizens. An almost 18-year veteran of the USFS and USDA, Taylor developed strong relationships to help address the needs of national agencies involved with wildfire and emergency management.

She most recently served as Director for the Office of Contracting and Procurement for the USDA, and previously held the position in the USFS of Assistant Director, Business Management and Fire and Aviation. In that role, she was Chief of the Contracting Office, supporting fire and aviation management and managed a staff of more than 40, providing acquisition support and analysis, while building relationships with key inter-agency partners and industry vendors.

“I am thrilled to join UAFA as its first Senior Policy Director. I will advocate for its members and develop and advance policies that make a real difference for aerial firefighters. The creation of UAFA is a crucial step in modernizing wildfire operations, as it introduces a united voice for the aerial firefighting industry. As climate change and other factors lead to longer, more intense wildfire seasons, the role of aerial firefighters will evolve and continue to become more important. It is critical that the interests of aerial firefighters are represented, so that advancements in technology and safety can help to shape policy and operations moving forward. As Senior Policy Director, I will work with our members to make a meaningful impact on the future of aerial firefighting,” says Taylor.

John Gould, President for the UAFA Board of Directors and a founding member of UAFA, was part of the group that worked to bring Petersen and Taylor to the association. “Adding two strong industry professionals like Paul and Tiffany to the UAFA team was a big win for the association,” said Gould.

“Their combined expertise and leadership will be invaluable in advancing our mission and advocating for our members. With their help, we will continue to build strong relationships with key stakeholders and policymakers to ensure that aerial firefighters have the support and resources they need to keep our communities and natural resources safe. This is an exciting time for UAFA, and we look forward to continuing to build our team to support the future success of the aerial firefighting industry.”

IFSJ caught up with John Gould in the latest issue of the magazine – read the article here.

Oli Willson has been announced to take over responsibility for GORE-TEX Professional’s UK sales in the fire market, replacing Suzanne Prince, who has made the decision to move on after 15 years in the role.

Willson has been with GORE-TEX Professional for three years, working with the footwear team across Europe in workwear and emergency services sectors. He will bring a ‘head to toe’ approach to UK with a portfolio of GORE-TEX products designed to deliver high performance firefighter protection in structural and rescue gear.

GORE-TEX moisture barriers protect most of the UK’s firefighters and Oli will continue to work with fire and rescue services and garment manufacturers to provide the highest standard service, supported by GORE-TEX Professional technical specialist Vivienne Hildebrandt.

Commenting on his new role, Willson said: “I’m excited to take on this new role and looking forward to continuing our strong relationships with fire and rescue services across the country. Our focus is on understanding firefighters needs and providing the best possible protection that allows them to do their job with full confidence in their gear.

“Everyone in the team would like to thank Suzanne for her commitment to Gore and the Fire Service over the last 15 years and we wish her all the very best for the future.”

For further information on GORE-TEX Professional products contact Oli Willson, owillson@wlgore.com or visit https://www.goretexprofessional.com/uk

Technical insulation and passive fire protection (PFP) specialist, Insulcon Technical has strengthening its presence in Aberdeen with the appointment of an industry expert Alan Shand, who joins the company as Business Development Manager based in Aberdeen.

Shand will be responsible for supporting the company’s clients with all their technical insulation needs, as well as promoting the extensive product-range to new customers to further develop business.

A seasoned oil and gas professional with more than 35 years’ experience working for both contracting companies and major oil and gas operators predominantly within the fabric maintenance sector, he is well known in the Aberdeen market.

Managing Director at Insulcon Technical, Chris Evans, said: “We are delighted to welcome Alan to the Insulcon Technical team. As well as strengthening our presence in Aberdeen, his appointment will help us deliver increased capabilities and provide an important point of contact on the doorstep for our Aberdeen-based clients.

“All of our products have been embraced on the international stage and we have a proven track record with some of the oil and gas sector’s biggest names. Alan will help us to promote our extensive product and service range, as well as helping us to make significant inroads into more industries which require highly specified insulation products like ours.”

Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection has appointed Jon Lind as the new CEO, effective September 1st, 2023. 

Lind brings over 25 years of experience in executive leadership roles, including his most recent position as CEO at CTEK, a global leader in battery charging technology. 

Maxim Berglund, partner at Sobro, Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection’s majority owner, commented on the appointment: “We are very pleased to welcome Jon as CEO of Dafo Vehicle. Jon has extensive leaders hip experience, a proven track record in driving business growth, and a passion for innovation, and we are confident he will lead Dafo Vehicle into an exciting new era.”

Commenting on his new role, Lind said: “I am very excited to become a part of Dafo Vehicle. The company has a strong position in the market and deep technical expertise in fire suppression systems. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to continue developing the company and building on its successes.”

Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection is a leading supplier of fire suppression solutions for heavy vehicles and buses. The company has a strong position in the market and offers a wide portfolio of high-quality products and services that contribute to preventing and minimizing damage to vehicles in the event of fire.

The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) has challenged new UK Government proposals for fire door testing which would remove the national classification system for construction products – BS 476 – and instead require classification to the British Standard version of the European Standard EN 13501, with testing to EN 1634 test standards becoming the new norm.

In its consultation response, the GAI said that there is no evidence to suggest that the change will make fire doors any safer, but will have significant impacts throughout the architectural ironmongery and construction sectors.

The GAI said that the removal of assessments of products which can be fitted to fire doors will contribute to reduced interchangeability of fire door hardware, inevitably leading to product shortages and delays.

The guild raised concerns that the multi-million-pound cost of retesting thousands of products is among a number of factors that would create competitive advantages for large global door manufacturers at the expense of specialist UK hardware businesses.

It added that the reduced export opportunities and increased reliance on overseas products could lead to a substantial loss of British jobs and expertise. Price rises as a result of these changes also introduce the risk of value-engineering and reduced specification – and therefore greater safety risk – on fire doors.

‘Cause immense damage’

GAI chief executive Simon Forrester says: “We believe that in its current form, this proposal will cause immense damage to the UK’s world-class architectural ironmongery sector, and problems throughout the architectural and construction sectors, while failing to deliver any meaningful benefits.

“BS 476 – or more specifically, part 22 of that standard – has successfully delivered robust safety assurances for timber fire door users for many years and is still widely recognised as fit for purpose. Indeed, post-Grenfell, testing volumes have increased even further in response to the demand for more primary test evidence.

“Among our members are companies that have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on this testing this year, with similar amounts budgeted for next year and beyond. One of our members has cited that its business alone has more than 600 BS 476 part 22 tests which will become redundant if the proposed changes go ahead.

“With the cost of each typical fire test up to £11,000, and current waiting times at six months or more for each test, and then another six months for the report, retesting would cause huge disruption throughout the hardware and construction sectors, and cost the industry many millions of pounds – a cost which would have to be passed on to developers and ultimately the consumer.”

The GAI’s consultation response concluded: “We do not believe that there is any evidence to suggest that moving to classification in EN 13501 will make fire doors any safer or deliver any meaningful life safety benefits… We urge the Government to retain the acceptance of classification according to BS 476 22 for timber doors in order to help retain a significant body of test data, to safeguard product availability for UK customers, and to protect vital overseas markets which have become particularly important for many UK door hardware manufacturers and suppliers, and are a great British export success story.”