Fire Department Operations Management Expert Witness

Fire Department Operations Management Expert Witness

Forensic fire expert witness Expert is court qualified having testified approximately 150 times in deposition or trial. Expert has over 50 years of experience in fire service administration, training and certifying, including strategic fire planning and evaluating public fire services. Additionally, he’s qualified to testify in the administration of building and fire codes as well as laws, regulations, ordinances and standards, to evaluate fire and life safety. The training/certifying in fire protection of fire professionals is another area of his expertise. He is a leading expert in fire safety roofing and wildland fire safety. Expert also was the chair of California’s Special Arson Task Force and has extensive experience in the investigation of fire origin, cause and spread. Further, he is a certified NFPA 921 Forensic Fire Investigator. He is a leading expert in window safety codes and standards and served on the National Safety Council’s Window Safety Task Force. He has served as Executive Director/CEO of the National Code Services Association and is currently serving as President of the Board of Commissioners of the West Plainfield Fire Protection District (Yolo County, California) including Board liaison for the fire prevention and investigation programs.

EXPERIENCE

• 1993 – Present
  Fire Protection Consulting Expert, Davis, CA.
  President of a fire protection consulting firm with both private sector and government clients. The Company’s services include fire and life safety evaluations; fire and building code development for State and model codes; fire product and code analysis; fire cause investigation and evaluation; fire department management reviews; emergency management planning and training; as well as forensic fire expert witness services. (1992 – 1993 Gage-Babcock & Associates, Inc., Senior Fire Protection Consultant.)
• Executive Director, National Code Services Association (2001 – 2015)
  Commissioner/Vice President/President (2002 – Present), Training Officer (1999 – 2002), West Plainfield Fire Protection District, Davis, CA
• 1985-1992 Chief California State Fire Marshal, Sacramento, CA.
  Senior Fire Official for the State of California with responsibilities for fire code enforcement, regulations promulgation, legislation, public education, state fire academy/training/certification and fire investigation.
• 1979-1985 Fire Chief/Emergency Services Director for the City of Campbell, CA. (Santa Clara County.)
  Responsible for fire suppression, code enforcement, fire investigation, emergency medical services and disaster preparedness/response for the City.
• 1977-1979 Fire Marshal/Emergency Services Coordinator – City of San Bernardino, CA.
  Responsible for fire suppression, code enforcement, disaster preparedness, and fire investigation.
• 1962-1977 Fire Fighter to Chief
  Increasingly responsible positions in fire suppression, code enforcement, fire investigation and emergency medical services.

EDUCATION

• August 1984 Master of Public Administration (MPA) – Golden Gate University (Fire Protection Emphasis)
• June 1978 Bachelor of Arts (BA) – University of Redlands
  (Management) (Fire Protection Emphasis)
• June 1966 Associate of Arts (AA) – Mt. San Antonio College (Fire Science) June 1963 Certificate in Fire Science – Mt. San Antonio College

LICENSES / CREDENTIALS

• Certified Forensic Fire Investigator
• Recipient, Robert W. Gain Award, Western Fire Chiefs Association
• State of California Private Investigator and Qualified Manager/Owner
• Qualified Fire Expert Witness
• Commissioned California State Military ReserveCommissioned Kentucky Colonel
• Lifetime California Community College Teaching Credential in Fire Science

MAJOR PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• 2008 – Present National Association of Fire Investigators – Member
• 2005 – Present West Plainfield Fire Protection District – Davis, CA, President, Board of Commissioners.
• 2005 – Present Office of the State Fire Marshal – Member of the California State Fire Marshal’s Stakeholders.
• 2005 – Present Fire Districts Association of California – Member 2003 – Present International Code Council – Voting Member
• 2002 – 2013 Forensic Expert Witness Association – Member and Former President, Sacramento / Sierra Chapter.
• 2000 – 2015 National Code Services Association, Inc. – Life Charter Voting Member; Former Executive Director/CEO; Former Member: Technical Committee on Codes, Technical Committee on Training and NFPA 921 Fire Investigation Committee.
• 2004 – 2012 National Safety Council – Member of Window Safety Task Force; Former Member, Fire Task Group.
• 2001 – 2012 Western Fire Chiefs Association – Code Coordinator 2000 – 2008 American College of Forensic Examiners, Inc. – Member 2008 – 2009 Jackson Rancheria Fire Safety Committee – Member
• 2005 State Assemblies For Emergency Response (SAFE) – Member
• 2000 – 2002 California Electrician Certification Advisory Committee – Member.
  Specialty Panel – Member
• 2000 – 2002 California State Department of Housing and Community Development Mobile Home Park Fire Protection Task Force – Member. (Northern and Southern Task Forces)
• 2000 – 2008 International Association of Arson Investigators – Member.
• 1989 – Present National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) – Founding President and Member Emeritus.
• 1998 – 2002 California Building Standards Commission – Member, 2000 Code Partnership; Member, Technical Task Group.
• 1981 – 1985 California Building Standards Commission – Commissioner
• 1994 – 2001 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) – Past Member, Sub-committee F15.38 – Window Fall Prevention.
• 1994 – 2000 International Fire Code Institute (IFCI) – Charter Member
• 1991 – 1992 Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “Operation Urban Wildfire” Task Force – Member.
• 1990 – 1992 National Fire Fighters Joint Apprenticeship Training Program – Management sponsor.
• 1989 – 1992 CAL OSHA Advisory Committee on Personal Protective Clothing And Equipment for Firefighters — Committee Member.
• 1989 – 1993 California Seismic Safety Commission – Commissioner; Chairman of the Emergency Planning and Response Committee and member of Earthquake Task Force.
• 1989 – 1992 Panel for Fire Research of the National Research Council – Member of panel of National Institute of Standards and Training (NIST) Center for Fire Research.
• 1986 – 1992 California Chemical Emergency Planning and Response Commission – Member and served on the Hazardous Materials Training Funding Committee.
• 1985 – 1992 California Fire Fighters Joint Apprenticeship Committee – Management sponsor and member of the Board of Directors.
• 1985 – 1992 California Historical Building Safety Board – Advisory Member. 1985 – 2002 California Rural Fire Association – Member.
  1985 – 1992 California State Board of Fire Services –Chairman.
• 1985 – 1997 Congressional Fire Services Institute – Senate and Charter Member. Chair of the Western Steering Committee for the Annual Dinner. Served as a member of the Institute’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force.
• 1985 – 1992 Governor’s Special Arson Task Force – Chairman.
• 1979 – Present Western Fire Chiefs Association – Life Member. Former Code Coordinator.
  Representative to California State Building Standards Commission.
• 1972 – Present California Fire Chiefs Association – Life Member; Former Member of Board of Directors. Member and former liaison chief to the Northern California Fire Prevention Officers Section. Life member of the Southern California Fire Training Officers Section.
• 1972 – Present National Fire Protection Association – Member: International Fire Marshals Association, Education, Building Fire Safety Systems and Fire Service Sections. Former Member: Strategic Planning
• Committee for Public Education, Public Education Advisory Committee, Educational Messages Advisory Committee, Wildland Fire Management Committee. Former Chair: Presidential Advisory Committee,
• Center for High Risk Outreach; Home Security and Fire Safety Taskforce and Nominating Committee.
• 1985 – 2003 International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) – Member. East Bay and Sacramento Valley Chapters – Member (1999 – 2003)
• 1985 – 1992 Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. – Corporate and Fire Council Member.
• 1979 – Present International Association of Fire Chiefs – Life Member. Former Vice Chair of the Operation Life Safety Board of Trustees.
• 1962 – Present California State Firefighters’ Association – Life Member.

PUBLICATIONS (Author/Contributor)

Available on Full CV

INSTRUCTIONAL EXPERIENCE

• University of California, Davis
• University of Missouri
• San Jose City College
• Victor Valley College
• San Bernardino Valley College
• California Fire Service Training & Education Program
• Fire Control 1/2/3/4
• Basic Emergency Vehicle Operations
• Basic Pump Operations
• Hazmat – Fire Responder Operations
• California State Office of Emergency Services
• International City Managers Association
• New York State Fire Academy
• California State Fire Academy System
• Fire/police academies and fire departments
• Numerous professional fire safety associations (instructor/lecturer)
• Emergency Services Insurance Program
• National Propane Gas Association

REFERENCES

Available upon request.