Dr. Dustin Lambert has over 22 years of fire and emergency services experience, 20 of which have been at the Fairmont (WV) Fire Department where he is currently a captain. He is an adjunct instructor at the National Fire Academy in the Responder Safety and Health curriculum, a fire instructor for WV Public Service Training and EMS instructor at Pierpont Community & Technical College College. He holds a doctorate in emergency management from Jacksonville State University, a master's degree in safety management from West Virginia University, a bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety from Fairmont State University, and is an FAA licensed private pilot. His research expertise is in responder safety and health, focusing on human factors and emergency vehicle crashes.
You can reach Dusty at:
Twitter @FFWisdom
Instagram @FireFighterWisdom
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/dustinslambert
Email: [email protected]

Started as a volunteer in Rockland County, New York with Rockland Hook & Ladder Department 17 in Spring Valley. I was there for 2 years before moving to North Carolina due to September 11th affecting my dads limo business. Once I moved. I found the closest volunteer Department near my house and joined. I was there over 10 years where I climbed up the ranks to Assistant Chief Of Training. I was let go after many years of dedication and was very active within the Department.

However, during my tenure as a volunteer there I applied at a career FD named Mooresville Fire Department. I’ve been there since 2007 (16 years) and currently hold the rank of Senior Firefighter (Relief driver) where I ride Tower Ladder 6. I’ve always cared about the fire service but ran into a wall where I felt like mediocrity and complacency was running rampant to the point where I was contemplating leaving. Luckily I found two podcasts that forever changed my mindset and showed me I wasn’t the only person who feels how I do regarding the fire service.

After attending my first mini fire conference, surrounded by like minded individuals, it sparked a fire in me letting myself know it’s OK how I feel about the job and wanting to train and do it correctly. So I started my own podcast, "Student of the Game," (available on all major podcast platforms and YouTube) that has generated great feedback but has also put a target on my back. I just want people to know it’s truly OK to love this profession and we need to take it seriously along with setting the tone for success with upcoming future generation Firefighters. 

Dr. Mynda Ohs, currently has a private practice in Nevada where she specializes in first responders and their families.  Additionally, she holds contracts with several agencies nationwide to respond on scene to critical incidents to provide crisis support. Critical incidents that she has participated in are, San Bernardino Terrorist attack, 1 October shooting, Montecito mudslides and numerous LODD for the forests service and Cal Fire. She recently joined the Las Vegas Metro Police Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) as a consultant. 

She is a Subject matter expert on several committees helping to develop and implement curriculum and policies that will improve the mental health for all first responders and their families. As a former first responder herself and married 26 years to a now retired Battalion chief she is passionate and committed to educating and improving the beliefs about getting help.

Diane and Paul Cotter are heroes. Yes, that's right, heroes.  Paul was is a retired firefighter who, shortly after his promotion to an officer's position was diagnosed with prostate cancer. That forced his retirement to occur sooner than anyone suspected. And while his wife Diane stood by his side, she couldn't help but wonder, "Why did this happen?" That question would lead to a world often out of the site of both firefighters and their families.

Di, as she likes to be called, set a goal to find out what could have caused this and was it preventable. After correspondence with both individuals and corporations that led nowhere, she took a leap of faith. She wrote a personal letter to Graham Peaslee, PhD, Professor in Physics and Astronomy at Notre Dame University. That letter sparked Dr. Peaslee's interest. He conducted a study of Fire Service turnout gear (aka, bunker gear), both new and used, dating back to 1977. All of it....every piece was found to contain the "forever chemicals," PFAS/PFOS, which are carcinogenic. This discovery changed the tide from the gear manufacturers' having the upper hand, to the men and women of the fire service and their families.

While the saga continues, we are slowly, but continuously moving forward. And while there is still hurdles ahead, if it were not for Diane and Paul, we might still be ignorant as to what our bunker gear just might be doing (or already done) to us.

Deputy Chief David Robinson has 25 years in the Fire Service in five different departments, from busy, urban systems, to wildland, to rural/semi-rural areas. He has instructed within his departments, in fire academies, paramedic schools, private fire institutions and now, is the Deputy Chief of Training for Lambton Shores Fire Rescue. 

He is fueled by a sincere passion to make the Fire Service better, which today includes talking to classes about his own struggles with PTSI or PTSD. He hopes that by being open to recruits right at the front end of their career, about this very real threat that each recruit will be able to have a long and joyful career.

Capt. Mike Daley is a 35+year fire service veteran, serving in a department in Monroe Township NJ. Mike serves as a staff instructor in two county academies and is an Adjunct Professor at two County colleges, developing and delivering FESHE-approved curriculum in Fire Behavior and Building Construction. He is a 20+-year member of New Jersey Task Force 1-USAR, serving as a Rescue Squad Officer and is a FEMA Lead Instructor in the Structural Collapse Specialist program.
Mike has a Bachelor's degree in Public Safety and holds certifications as a Fire Officer, Fire Instructor, Fire Official, FEMA All-Hazards Operations Section Chief, On-Scene Incident Commander, Fire Investigation Technician, Certified Fire & Explosives Investigator and has completed the Knowledge 1 Fire Dynamics program from the International Association of Arson Investigators.
Mike has earned international accreditation as a Chief Training Officer and a Fire Officer from the Center for Public Service Excellence. Mike is a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers and serves as a Contributing Technical Editor for FIREHOUSE(R) Magazine and FIREHOUSE.com.
Mike is currently serving as President of Kill the Flashover, a Training and Research organization that provides training in Advanced Fire Behavior to students from all over the world. Mike can be reached at [email protected]

In 1999 Andrew Cunningham discovered his passion for fire buffing. Even after 24 years, he remains an active fire buff in his community. Andrew has established a local group of fire buffs who document the activities of the city's fire department, by filming apparatus responding to calls and showing up at fire scenes.

Andrew holds a Master's Degree in Multimedia Arts from Duquesne University and has utilized his media expertise to spotlight firefighters. Additionally, Andrew manages all the social media for Wheeling Fire Buffs and initiated the first fire buff association Facebook group in the metropolitan Wheeling WV area, the Ohio Valley Fire Buff Association group on Facebook.

Chief Vernon Hiller is a 35 year firefighting veteran and District
Chief with the Toronto Fire Services. He has been the recipient of the Governor General's Fire Service Medal, the Ontario Long Service Medal, a Toronto Fire Services Award of Merit, and a Sunnybrook Centre Cardiac Save Award. An advocate of lifelong learning, Vernon holds a Teaching and Training Adults Certificate from Durham College, is a graduate of Sheridan College's Performing Arts Program, and has completed Seneca College's Fire Fighter and Emergency Services Program. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History/Politics from Trent University. He is a former recreational triathlete, marathoner, and fitness buff, who now studies Leadership at Dalhousie University and is a Keynote speaker on the importance of Setting Goals and Building a Positive Mental Attitude.

Having grown up with ADHD or different learning abilities, he is all too familiar with the stigma attached to what society refers to as Learning Disabilities or LD’s. It was this and other experiences that encouraged his passion for personal growth, living with intent, and pushing past fear and self doubt as a means of exploring one’s potential. He hopes to inspire and support others who are struggling with similar challenges by sharing the discoveries, disciplines, and strength that can grow out of the adversity we all face in our lives.

A proud Canadian, he currently volunteers as a Board member with the non-profit charity LEADR, which tutors adults in a variety of literacy skills. In his spare time, Vernon has performed with his band at local fundraisers, sat on Parent Councils, coached children's sports teams, facilitated Marriage Preparation Workshops, and briefly hosted a weekly online radio show for Durham College's RiotRadio.ca. Currently writing a book on the motivational/goal-setting and deliberate living techniques he practices, Vernon’s goal is to share the lessons he has learned so as to help others forge lives of greater passion and intent for themselves.

Chief (ret) Arjuna George is a trauma-informed resilience coach
and TRE(R) Provider, specializing in performance coaching for burnout prevention and recover for Fire Chiefs and fire leaders. He  retired in 2021 as Fire Chief of Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue after 24 years of service. 
     Chief George is a certified professional coach specializing in Fire/Chief Officer Stress Mastery and Resilience. He has helped fire chiefs and officers across the country, be emotionally intelligent leaders.
     He is a family man, entrepreneur, author with a passion for helping others lead healthier and happier lives. He is now the principal owner of Silver Arrow Coaching & Consulting, specializing in coaching fire chief coaching and training. 
     Chief George graduated from Royal Roads University in 2022 with a Graduate Certification in Executive Coaching.
     He is a regular contributor for Canadian Firefighter Magazine, Firefighting in Canada and is the author of "Burnt Around the Edges: A Guide to Mastering Stress and Surviving Burnout. his book is available on Amazon and other major retailers.
     And Chief George is proud to present his latest endeavor, the "Burnt Around the Edges" podcast, now available on all major podcast platforms.

Bradley R. Davidson retired in 2021 with 4 decades of service. In the Fire world he currently serves as an advisor for the Canadian Association of Fire Investigators. He is past Regional Director for the Canadian Association of Fire Investigators and past Director for Volunteer Firefighters of Canada.
      As a Consultant he has been a part of a project in Saskatchewan, auditing fire stations and then providing recommendations to the Saskatchewan Government via the WCB for firefighter Cancer prevention. (Pro bono)
      He is still a firefighter health, safety and wellness advocate and promotes this in any fashion he can. He is authoring a new book of his memoirs, sharing the tragedies and triumphs of serving. That also shares the loss of one of his personal firefighter friends due to brain cancer after three surgeries to try and mitigate the disease. The book also includes a chapter on Cancer Prevention.
     Over the course of his career, he was the recipient of scholarships:
First was the FDIC Honeywell DuPont Kevlar Scholarship…. Returned the following year as a FDIC Instructor. The second one FRI/IAFC/FDSOA scholarship and took training as a fire department Health & Safety Officer. And the third was when he was awarded the first ever  ISFSI Alan V Brunacini Lifelong Learner  Scholarship recipient. Sadly, doctor's orders would not allow me to travel for this…
     The CAFC also invited me to take facilitator training in Ottawa for the First Responder R2MR - Road to Mental Readiness program.
     Find Brad on LinkedIn as "Bradley R. Davidson."