Robert Painter
Engine 63 Bronx, NY
Fire Department City of New York

Robert Painter is a 17 year member of the fire service. He currently works for the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY), assigned to Engine Company 63 in the Bronx and also is a member of the FDNY/NYC IMT (Incident Management Team) where he works as a GIS (Geographical Information Systems) Technical Specialist. He is also a member of the Harry Howard Hook & Ladder Company in Port Chester, NY. Before that he was with a fire company in Fairfield County Connecticut, where he held the Rank of Assistant Chief and Training Officer. Painter holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Southern Connecticut State University and is a certified Connecticut and New York state fire service instructor. He teaches Hands-On Training for the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, FDIC and Firehouse.

Dave L. McGill, Jr.
Special Operations Division
City Of Annapolis Maryland Fire Department

Dave L. McGill, Jr. is a 18 year member of the fire service. He currently works for City of Annapolis Fire Department in Maryland, where he is a member of the Special Ops Division and works in the Training Division. He is also the Chief of the Seat Pleasant Fire Department in Prince George County, Maryland. McGill is a nationally certified fire service instructor working for the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, as well as a Hands-On Training instructor for Firehouse.

Robert Lagrow
Engine 63 Bronx, NY
Fire Department City of New York

Robert Lagrow is a 21 year member of the fire service. He currently works for the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY), assigned to Engine Company 63 in the Bronx. Lagrow’s previous assignments with FDNY include Ladder 34 in Washington Heights and the Flashover Training Program at the FDNY Fire Academy. He is also a member of the West Haverstraw Fire Department where he has served as captain for the past four years. Lagrow is a certified New York state fire instructor working at the Rockland County Fire Training Center, as well as a Hands-On Training instructor for the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, FDIC, and Firehouse. Lagrow has lectured throughout the country on a variety of topics, including engine company operations, FAST/RIT, and manpower issues.

Battalion Chief Richard J. Blatus
Battalion 15 Bronx, NY
Fire Department City of New York

Richard J. Blatus is a 29 year veteran of the fire service currently assigned to Battalion 15 in the Bronx. A strong proponent of training, Chief Blatus has served as both a regional and national instructor/lecturer for many of the fire service trade publications and has participated in numerous conferences. He is also an adjunct instructor at the FDNY Bureau of Training for the Battalion Chiefs Command Course and the Captains Development Program. His formal education includes a Masters Degree in Homeland Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in addition to degrees in both Business and Municipal Fire Administration.

Battalion Chief Thomas J. Richardson
Battalion 38 Brooklyn, NY
Fire Department City of New York

Tom Richardson is a Battalion Chief in the FDNY assigned to Battalion 38 in Brooklyn with 29 years of service. He is the Chief of the Deer Park Volunteer Fire Department where he has been a member for 30 years. Tom was an instructor at the Suffolk County Fire Academy for 15 years. He is also an adjunct instructor at the FDNY Bureau of Training in the Battalion Chiefs Command Course and the Captains Development Program. Tom is currently a student at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California working on his Masters in Homeland Security Studies. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Community and Human Services.

Eric Lubniewski
Ladder 39 Bronx, NY
Fire Department City of New York

Eric Lubniewski is a 15 year member of the fire service. He currently works for the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY), assigned to Ladder Company 39 in the Bronx. Lubniewski’s previous assignments with FDNY include Engine 63 and Ladder 52 both in the Bronx. He teaches Hands-On Training for the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs and Firehouse.

Battalion Chief Keith Cartica
Battalion 15 Commander Bronx, NY
Fire Department City of New York

Keith Cartica is a 28-year veteran of the FDNY holding the promotional ranks of Fire Marshal, Lieutenant, Captain and Battalion Chief. He's been an officer for over 20 years of which 10 have been in the Battalion Chief's rank. For the past 7 years, he's held the designation as Battalion Commander in Battalion 15 located in The North Bronx.   He possesses a diverse professional resume which includes assignments as a Haz-Mat Chief, in both World Trade Center disasters and to Hurricane Katrina.   He's a certified adjunct New York State Fire Instructor as well as a Dutchess County Fire Instructor specializing in Leadership & Officer Development, Building Construction, Incident Safety & Command as well as other firematic topics. Academically, he possesses undergraduate and graduate degrees from Pace University and has graduated from numerous executive level developmental programs administered by The City of New York. In addition, he's a certified Covey Institute Facilitator specializing in the "7 Habits of Highly Effective Firefighters". He has authored numerous firematic articles and has lectured and instructed at various fire conferences.