Our Facilitators

Demetris Alfred
LMA Facilitator (IAFF)

Demetris Alfred is a Firefighter, EMT, and Rescue specialist, with the St. Louis Fire Department. He has been with the department for 25 years, 18 with the Rescue Squad 1 C. He also serves as the President of IAFF Local 73 representing all firefighters, medics, and dispatchers of St. Louis city. He serves as a trustee on the Fireman Retirement System for the past six years.

Chief Ken Block
LMA Facilitator (IAFC)

Chief Ken Block’s career spans over thirty years in Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (Canada), a metropolitan career department with over 1,200 personnel (civil and uniform). He has worked as an advocate for fire fighters and has successfully negotiated Collective Agreements. Chief Block was part of Edmonton’s Dangerous Goods Response Team from 1987 to 2005 and has taken numerous courses and attended conferences relating to Labor Management.

Chief Mike Brown (retired)
LMA Facilitator (IAFC)

Chief Brown brings over 53 years of firefighting knowledge and experience. He has served on numerous committees and associations; serving as president of Washington Fire Chiefs, Western Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Chief Brown continues to be active in the firefighting community representing the fire service locally and nationally.

Chief William Bryson, B.A.
LMA Facilitator (IAFC)

During his 35-year career, William “Shorty” Bryson has served the City of Miami, serving the last nine as Fire Chief. After retiring from Miami, he served as the Fire Chief for Miami Dade Fire Rescue. He also served on the Local 587 Executive Board for 15 years, with six years as the President. He holds the prestigious Meritorious Service Award from the Miami Fire Department and a 2008 Chief of the Year from the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association. Presently he serves on the Labor Management Alliance of the IAFC and IAFF and is a strong proponent of cooperative Labor-Management Relations.

Captain Walter J. Dix
LMA Facilitator (IAFF)

Captain Dix is a 37-year veteran serving both as a firefighter and EMT in South Florida. In his career, Captain Dix has served on Hazmat teams, Technical Rescue Team, and Fire Rescue Operations. He has also served the firefighting community in an Administration and Communications capacity. Currently, Captain Dix serves as the President of the Broward County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association (IAFF Local 4321) and as a field representative for the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Chief Larry Few, B.S. Management, MIFireE
LMA Facilitator (IAFC)

Chief Few’s career spans 36 years in the fire service industry and public safety. Chief Few is a certified and publically recognized Executive Manager (George Public Safety Training Center) with a proven ability to deliver results. In 2014, Chief Few was elected President of the Metropolitan Association of Fire Chiefs.

Tom Hanify
LMA Facilitator (IAFF)

Tom Hanify has served the Indianapolis Fire Department for 36 years and has served on the executive board of the Indianapolis Firefighter Union Local 416, including ten as President. Since 2002 he has served as the President of the Professional Firefighters Union of Indiana. He serves on several boards, including the Indiana Board of Firefighter Standards and Education and the Indiana Homeland Security Foundation. Tom also represents the IAFF as a Service Representative, on the NFPA 1710 Committee and as a facilitator for the IAFC-IAFF Labor Management Initiative.

Chief Richard Marinucci, M.A.
LMA Facilitator (IAFC)

Richard Marinucci is in his 40th year in the fire service with 32 years as Fire Chief. Chief Marinucci is a former President of the IAFC and has been a member of the Labor-Management program of the IAFC and IAFF since 1999. He has a Master’s degree and 3 Bachelor of Science degrees. He has worked with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Everyone Goes Home Program and is the current Executive Director of the Fire Department Safety Officers’ Association.

Captain Brain O’Neill, B.A. History
LMA Facilitator (IAFF)

Captain O’Neill has 16 years of experience with Louisville Fire and Rescue, an urban and full-time professional fire department. He has served as an officer for Local #345 for 14 years, the last 5 as President, and he is also a District Vice President for the Kentucky Professional Firefighters.

Captain John Niemiec, B.A. Labor Safety and Heath
LMA Facilitator (IAFF)

Captain Niemiec is a professional firefighter and paramedic with 30 years of experience serving Fairfax County in Virginia. Captain Niemiec was elected President of the Fairfax County Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics – International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 2068 in 2007 and is currently serving the firefighting community in this capacity.

Chief Frank L. Roma
LMA Facilitator (IAFC)

Chief Roma has been a member of the fire service for over 40 years. He has served in volunteer, combination and fully paid fire departments in the states of Pennsylvania, Minnesota (Battalion Chief), Texas (Assistant Chief of Operations) and Maine (Chief). Chief Roma is a certified mediator and staunch supporter of positive labor-management relations and currently serves as Chief of the Town of Hermon, ME Fire Department.

James I. Ridley
LMA Facilitator (IAFF)

Jim Ridley is a retired 30-year veteran of the Fort Wayne Fire Department. He has served as a combat fire fighter, combat company officer and training instructor. He has served as an elected State Vice President for the Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana, where he lobbied for benefits and safety legislation for public safety officers throughout Indiana. Ridley currently serves as the Assistant to the General President for the Education, Training and Human Relations Division at the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Lt. Donald Scott, M.S. Emergency Medical Services, Cert. Public Safety Management
LMA Facilitator (IAFF)

Lt. Donald Scott is a 30-year fire and EMS service veteran who serves in the Alexandria, VA FD. He is a current member and past president of IAFF Local 2141. Before moving to Alexandria, Lt. Scott worked in West Virginia and was a member of the IAFF Local 318. Lt Scott has been with the Labor-Management Alliance (LMA) since 2013.

Chief William A. Stewart (Ret.) FIFireE, CFO, CMM
LMA Facilitator (IAFC)

Chief Stewart served as the Fire Chief of the Toronto Fire Services from May 1, 2003, to April 30, 2012, retiring after thirty- nine and half years of service. He is an accomplished public servant whose efforts include the creation of the Toronto HUSAR and CBRNE Teams. Chief Stewart has served in the former City of North York Fire Department for twenty- six years before the amalgamation of Toronto in 1998. He served as a firefighter, Captain, Administration Chief, Assistant Deputy, Deputy Chief and ultimately as the Fire Chief of Canada’s largest fire service.

Chief Steven Westermann, MPA
LMA Facilitator (IAFC)

Chief Westermann has served as Chief of Department to the medium-sized Central Jackson County Fire Protection District since 1988 and has been in the fire service since 1972. Before becoming chief, he came up through the ranks and served in prevention roles. He has been a facilitator with the LMA program for ten years serving as an IAFC representative in technical assistance situations and has taught at numerous IAFF and IAFC conferences.

Chief John C. Woulfe III, B.S. Management Technology
LMA Facilitator (IAFC)

John Woulfe is the Program Director of Programs and Technology – Hazardous Materials Center and Special Projects for the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).