| Chief Jeff Johnson has been named President and Chairman of the Board of the IAFC |
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has installed Chief Jeffrey D. Johnson, EFO, CFO, MIFireE, fire chief and chief executive officer of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue in Oregon, as IAFC president and chairman of the board for 2009-2010. The installation took place on August 28 during the IAFC's Fire Rescue International (FRI) conference in Dallas.
As president and chairman of the board, Chief Johnson will provide leadership to an 18-member board of directors for the association located in Fairfax, VA, and will serve as the primary spokesperson for the association on matters of national and international interest. He will testify on behalf of the IAFC at U.S. House and Senate hearings, and he will serve as the representative dignitary for the association in all major political and international functions.
Chief Johnson will continue the IAFC's work on eminent IAFC and joint-organizational programs and will place particular emphasis on those pertaining to leadership development, firefighter health and safety, and fire and life safety issues.
After his installation at the FRI 2009 general session, Chief Johnson told attendees he believes the IAFC "should be here to help you to get through these tough times." He suggested that in an economic crisis, "you can rethink your economic model" by considering how to work with other organizations and redeploy resources without compromising safety. He also expressed confidence that the IAFC will help members through the economic challenges with best practices and targeted programs that match their needs. "Now is the time for the IAFC to step up and be your partner," he said.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue has earned the IAFC's annual Fire Service Award for Excellence two times - a unique achievement that illustrates the effectiveness of his leadership and his team.
Chief Johnson is a past president of the Western Division of the IAFC, and he is a member of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association; the IAFC's EMS Section, Fire & Life Safety Section and Volunteer Combination Officers Section; and the Institution of Fire Engineers-US Branch. He is past president of the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association and past chair of the Governor's Fire Service Policy Council. In addition, he serves as the chair of Oregon's State Interoperability Executive Council and as a member of the Oregon Homeland Security Council.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business communications and associate's degrees in fire science and criminal justice administration. He's a graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program and achieved the Center for Public Safety Excellence Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Designation.
Chief Johnson is a proponent of applying excellence and innovation in the provision of leadership and services, topics he has addressed as an author of two fire service books and as a featured guest lecturer across the nation. Additionally, he advocates for cooperative initiatives such as resource sharing to achieve efficiencies that demonstrate smart government principles and value for the citizens' investment.
Also installed during the ceremony on August 28 were Chief Jack Parow, fire chief of the Chelmsford (Mass.) Fire Department, as the IAFC's 1st vice president, and Chief Al Gillespie of the North Las Vegas (Nev.) Fire Department as the IAFC's 2nd vice president.