Names in the News: July 2019

JEANINE NICHOLSON was sworn in on May 6, 2019, as the first openly LGBT chief in the history of the San Francisco (CA) Fire Department (SFFD). Nicholson, a 25-year veteran of the SFFD, is also the second woman to serve as chief after the retirement of her predecessor, Joanne Hayes-White. Nicholson has held positions in the SFFD including deputy chief of administration, firefighter, paramedic, lieutenant, captain, and battalion chief. During her career, Nicholson has survived second-degree burns at a 2009 arson fire, which injured five other firefighters, as well as breast cancer. She has since become a proponent of efforts to prevent cancer among firefighters. 




TORYONO GREEN was named as the new chief of the Tacoma (WA) Fire Department (TFD). Green takes over the position for former Chief Jim Duggan, who retired after seven years at the helm. Green was previously the TFD’s deputy chief and is a 26-year member of the department. He has been deputy chief of administration for the past seven years and has served as assistant chief of emergency medical services and a training and medical services officer.




MIKE HEPFLER retired as the chief of the Chippewa Falls (WI) Fire and Emergency Services Department. Hepfler began his career with the department in 1985 as a reserve firefighter and was hired as a full-time firefighter/emergency medical technician (EMT) in 1989, just as the department took over the ambulance service from a private contractor. Heplfer also worked as a firefighter/EMT until 1996 when he was promoted to the city’s fire prevention inspector position. In the following years, he was promoted to lieutenant, then to battalion chief of emergency medical services operations in 2012, and finally to the chief position in 2014.



 

company/association news

TELGIAN awarded its Pat Ryan Team Spirit Award to John Caliri, Jr. The award was created in memory of Telgian associate Pat Ryan and is presented annually to the Telgian Team Associate who best embodies his example. Ryan dedicated his life’s work to the fire protection industry, with a career spanning 29 years in a variety of capacities, including as a member of the San Diego (CA) Fire Department and as the city’s assistant fire marshal. Caliri Jr. a fire protection consultant for Telgian Engineering & Consulting, joined Telgian in 2018. His diverse experience includes fire protection engineering and consulting, life safety analysis and consulting, and fire protection and detection systems analysis, among many others. http://Telgian.com.

SAFETY COMPONENTS, INC. (SCI) announced Marta Doménech Catarina as its newest member of its Protective Fabrics team. Catarina comes to SCI from Alfredo Grassi, S.p.A., where she was the technical and commercial manager for Spain. During her 20+ years of textile experience, she has amassed a broad range of experience in sales, marketing, and customer service as well as distribution and product development. Catarina studied at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, in Terrassa, Spain, with a concentration in Textile Engineering. As the European sales director, she will be responsible for supporting garment manufacturers, distributors, and end-use customers in the expansion of SCI protective fabrics for use in industry-leading firefighting, wildland, rescue, and industrial garments. www.safetycomponents.com.

Dave McGlynn and Sean Duffy

The Training Officer: Effective Search Tactics and Cultivating a Training Culture

Host Dave McGlynn talks with firefighter Sean Duffy about his innovative program, "Searchable vs. Survivable."