The Greater Tucson Fire Foundation is pleased to announce the first Firefighters Without Borders delegation will depart for a two-week assignment with the Israel Fire and Rescue Service in mid-October. The Israel Fire and Rescue Service are known as a leading agency that routinely trains and prepares for natural and manmade disasters, including acts of terrorism.
The 2013 Firefighters Without Borders Delegation will join their professional counterparts in locations across Israel including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the Carmel Forest. Mount Carmel is the location of the country’s worst forest fire which claimed the lives of 44 individuals in 2010 and prompted a complete reform of the Israel’s fire service in 2012–a topic sure to be covered by the delegation.
Exchange of Information and Ideas: Many topics that are applicable to the fire agencies will be explored such as: training methods, preparedness and planning, triage systems, incident command structures, continuum of care models, post-incident recovery for professionals and civilians, prevention and inspection activities. Additionally, delegates will be seeking out specific information as it pertains to their department’s particular objectives such as: airport emergency systems, diversity programs, or rural-area transport protocols.
The 2013 Delegates: Members selected for the 2013 inaugural delegation include:
Richard Johnson, Captain; Tucson Fire Department–a 28-year veteran with TFD with a focus on recruit training and continuous education, including technical rescue?Scott Laird, Captain; Rincon Valley Fire District–a 25-year fire service member with a focus on hazardous materials, technical rescue, and wildland–KC McCoy, Division Chief; Northwest Fire District–a 22-year fire service member with an emphasis in educational leadership and professional development ?Thomas Tucker, Lieutenant; Tucson Airport Authority Fire Department–a 13-year veteran of TAA with a background in counter terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and natural disaster responses ?Kyle Canty, Captain; Northwest Fire Department–a 14-year veteran with NWFD, current President of the Northwest Firefighters and founder of a local Political Action Committee ?Mark S Lytle, Captain; Green Valley Fire District–a 17-year fire service member with an emphasis in counter terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, hazardous materials, and the metropolitan medical response system
Kris Blume, Captain, Tucson Fire Department–a 13 year veteran with TFD with a focus on emergency management
Firefighters Without Borders?2013 Delegation Biographies?
Capt. Richard Johnson Tucson Fire Department
Richard has been with the Tucson Fire Department for 28 years, He has been a certified paramedic since 1991 and a captain for the past 14 years. Richard is currently assigned to Engine 3 in the midtown area. Richard’s past assignments have included work on several engine and ladder companies and almost five years as a training captain at the Regional Public Safety Academy. Duties while a training officer included recruit training and continuing education training for the suppression companies.
Capt. Johnson obtained his paramedic training at the University of Arizona’s College of Emergency Medicine. He is a certified in technical rescue, and a certified fire instructor I and II.
Captain Kris Blume Tucson Fire Department Captain Kris Blume graduated from the University of Arizona with Bachelors degrees in Political Science, History and Molecular and Cellular Biology in 1999. He has been with Tucson Fire Department since July 2000 and as a Paramedic since 2003. Additionally, he is a Hazardous Materials Technician and Arizona certified in the technical rescue disciplines. Currently he is an Emergency Management Captain with the Tucson Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (TOEMHS): Serving as the Director of the Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS). Within TOEMHS Blume also deploys with the State Field Intelligence Team (FIT) and the Hostile Intent Intervention Teams (HIIT). He is also a Terrorism Liaison Officer, and is responsible for completing Threat Value Assessments (TVA) for the City of Tucson. Most recently, Blume attended the US Army’s, Company Officer Intelligence Support Team (COIST) training,followed by the Department of Defense Counterintelligence School. In the spring of 2013 Captain Blume completed the Tucson Police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) School. Blume is also a USSOCOM accredited instructor for Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), and is a private contractor that has deployed CONUS/OCONUS with Chenenga and Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.
Capt. Scott Laird
Rincon Valley Fire District
Capt. Scott Laird has been a firefighter for 25 years. He began his career in 1988 as a wildland firefighter and spent a month at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming as well wild fires in many other states. He has been a fire captain at Rincon Valley for almost 7 years. He worked as a captain at Raytheon Missile Systems for five years, and was a firefighter, community service and safety officer at Rural/Metro. He is special operations captain in charge of Rincon Valley’s Hazardous Materials Team and Technical Rescue Team. He is a coordinator for the Pima County Hazardous Materials Team. He teaches swift-water and rope rescue courses for Arizona Center for Fire Service Excellence. He is also an adjunct professor for Pima Community College. Currently, he is chairman of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), which plays a significant role in protecting human health and the environment by providing communities and emergency planners with valuable information on toxic-chemical releases, and training and equipment for regional Hazardous Material Teams.
Capt. Kyle Canty
Northwest Fire District & President of the Northwest Fire Fighters, #3572
Kyle Canty graduated from the University of Arizona in 1996 where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Related Science and has been in the fire service for over 14 years. Currently, Kyle serves as a Fire Captain for the internationally accredited Northwest Fire District in Tucson, Az. and is also the President of Northwest Fire Fighters IAFF Local 3572 which provides support and services to over 200 members from three (3) different fire districts.?
During his tenure as President, the Northwest Fire Fighters have established a Political Action Committee to increase and enhance their political involvement, improved their Meet and Confer resolution, and have accomplished the first ever Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Northwest Fire District Fire Board. Additionally, Local 3572 have established Northwest Fire Fighters Charities to continue helping the community through Holiday Assistance Programs and other charitable events like the Warneke Family Project.
Capt. Mark S. Lytle
Green Valley Fire District
Mark Lytle is a native Tucsonan who has worked in the fire service for 17 years — 13 of which have been with the Green Valley Fire District. Mark is currently a fire captain, paramedic, and the operations coordinator for the Green Valley Hazardous Materials Team. In addition to Mark’s normal duties as a fire captain, he holds the position of terrorism liaison officer with the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center, is a committee member of the Border Security and Intelligence Sub- Committee, and is a hazardous materials technician for the Pima County Regional Hazmat Team. He is also a member of the Metropolitan Medical Response System. Mark is an instructor for U.S. Department of Homeland Security of courses covering emergency response to suicide bombing, terrorist bombing, radiological/nuclear and chemical weapons incidents.
Division Chief KC McCoy
Northwest Fire District
KC McCoy is a 22-year member of the American fire service currently serving as division chief of training for Northwest Fire District, an internationally accredited fire district in Tucson, Ariz. KC holds a master’s degree in educational leadership, is a graduate of the National Fire Academy, Arizona State University Fire Services Institute, and Greater Tucson Leadership Program. KC’s friendly personality, fire service experience and educational background has helped him lead collaborative efforts and partner effectively to develop several regional training programs in Southern Arizona, which have benefitted community residents and increased firefighter safety. KC has received several awards throughout his firefighting career, including the City of Peoria (Ariz.) Fire Department Firefighter of the Year and a Humanitarian Award from the International Association of Firefighters.
Lt. Thomas Tucker
Tucson Airport Authority Fire
Thomas Tucker currently serves as the administrative officer reporting to the Chief of Public Safety at Tucson Airport Authority. Lt. Tucker has been with Tucson Airport Authority Fire Department for the past 13 years. He also holds the position of terrorism liaison officer with the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center. Lt. Tucker, a founding member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has been deployed to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and wildfires throughout the country. His professional education includes instructor for New Mexico Tech Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center, Incident Response to Terrorist Bombing; instructor for Arizona Division of Emergency Management/U.S. Department of Justice Emergency Response to Terrorism; Arizona Department of Health Services EMT-basic certified instructor; instructor for Weapons of Mass Destruction Radiological/Nuclear Awareness; and Arizona Department Public Safety Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center. He is also terrorism liaison officer Field Intelligence Team certified, and has attended the Center for Domestic Preparedness’ Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological Training Facility.
