SHSS Election

2026 Candidates

Your SHS Section has five candidates for four open positions in 2026. 

CEO Ian Emmons (Deputy Chief, ret.)

TouchPoint Transport

Ohio

Ian Emmons is a retired deputy fire chief of operations, last serving with Sarasota County Fire Department and Washington Township Fire Department, in Ohio, before that. Ian has served on the SHS Board of Directors for the last seven years in multiple capacities, including director-at-large, treasurer, vice chair, and current chair of the board. Chief Emmons has contributed to the health and wellness of the fire service in multiple capacities, including health and wellness advocacy on several platforms, his work on the Coffee with SHS program, serving on the NFPA 1580 (NFPA 1581-1585) technical committee, and in 2020, Ian was awarded the IAFC’s President’s Award for his work on the IAFC’s cardiac initiative. Additionally, Ian has spoken at FRI and other national and regional conferences on health and wellness-related topics over the past decade and continues to advocate for enhancing firefighter health and wellness through direct and departmental program creation and support.

Fire Protection Consultant Dan Kerrigan (Chief, ret.)

NRG Fire Consulting, LLC.

Pennsylvania

Dan Kerrigan, MS, EFO, CFO, Fire Chief (Ret.), is a 37-year veteran of the fire and emergency services and a nationally recognized advocate for firefighter health and wellness. He is co-author of the best-selling book Firefighter Functional Fitness and a sought-after international speaker on responder health, safety, and performance.

Kerrigan has served as an at-large director for the Safety, Health and Survival (SHS) Section for more than a decade, leading initiatives to expand membership, strengthen organizational safety efforts, and help revitalize the Safety Stand Down. He also serves as the section’s public information officer and co-chairs the “Coffee with SHS” podcast, where he facilitates candid discussions on health, wellness, and safety across the fire service.

Throughout his career—spanning volunteer, career, and combination departments—Kerrigan has successfully implemented comprehensive health and wellness programs in a wide range of organizations. His work focuses on reducing preventable line-of-duty injuries and deaths through initiatives that include NFPA-compliant medical evaluations, physical fitness, behavioral health support, cancer prevention and education, and efforts to eliminate bullying and harassment.

Kerrigan is committed to ensuring that departments of all sizes have access to these critical resources. He continues to advocate for the development of accessible, practical tools that support both individual firefighters and the organizations they serve.

Deputy Chief Joseph Kroboth

Long Meadow Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.

Maryland

I have 40-yrs service in the career/volunteer fire service, with a commitment to firefighter safety, a passion that has been central to my work since my father’s line-of-duty death in 1998. I am a PhD candidate in Occupational Safety and Health, specializing in firefighter safety and survival. 

My volunteer fire service engagement includes 23 years as a chief officer, of which 6 years were as Fire Chief in the volunteer system and 6 years in a career system. I have served as a field instructor with the Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute for 33 years, primarily delivering instruction in leadership, Fire Officer I-IV, and Safety Officer and Survival curricula.

I am an organizing charter member and the current Program Manager for the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, an organization dedicated to education and research aimed at protecting emergency responders operating on roadways. In the capacity, I advocate for legislation, national standards, training and educational programs, research and development initiatives, and I assist with project and grant management. See ResponderSafety.com.

For the past two decades, I have supported the NFFF on a range of initiatives, including service as a Branch Director in the Family Escort Section supporting the Annual Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial Weekend. 

Since 2011, I have served on technical committees for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), specifically NFPA 502, Standard for Road Tunnels, Bridges, and Other Limited Access Highways, and NFPA 1091, Standard for Traffic Incident Management Personnel Professional Qualifications, for which I serve as Committee Chair.

MEIKO Protection Manager John Schmidt (Chief, ret.)

MEIKO USA

Florida

Chief John Schmidt (ret.) is a dedicated advocate for firefighter health and safety, actively participating in various organizations that promote these causes. As Health and Safety Division Chief, he established an on-scene decontamination program, contributed to the development of a departmental occupational health initiative, and a peer fitness program. Chief Schmidt serves as a member of the Florida Fire Chief Association Safety and Health Committee, as a Director for the Florida Firefighter Safety & Health Collaborative, and sits on the Board of Advisors for the Firefighter Cancer Initiative at UM Sylvester. He is also a former member of the IAFC Safety, Health, and Survival Section. 

Currently, Chief Schmidt co-hosts “Coffee with SHS,” a monthly live podcast addressing contemporary topics in firefighter safety and health. He also co-hosts the National F.A.C.E. (Firefighters Against the Cancer Epidemic) team live podcast, focusing on firefighter cancer and mental wellness. 

Chief Schmidt supports efforts that encourage, educate, and develop processes to protect fire service personnel. He remains committed to advancing programs within fire agencies that address all aspects of firefighter health and safety. 

Chief Peter Skeris

Grand Junction Fire Department

Colorado

Chief Peter Skeris brings nearly three decades of fire service leadership experience. He currently serves as the Fire Chief for the Grand Junction Fire Dept. in Colorado. Previously he served 29 years with the Charlotte (NC) Fire Department , where he served in a wide range of operational, training, and executive leadership roles. Most recently, he was the Deputy Chief overseeing daily operations for 45 firehouses, 67 staffed apparatus, and nearly 1,100 personnel across Operations, Special Operations, and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. In 2025, Chief Skeris was awarded the Medal of Valor by the North Carolina Firefighters Association. 

Chief Skeris holds an associate degree from Central Piedmont Community College, a bachelor’s degree 
from University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Master of Public Administration from University of 
North Carolina at Pembroke. He is a designated Chief Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety 
Excellence and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Fire 
Chiefs Safety, Health, and Survival Section. 

Chief Skeris is committed to supporting firefighters and their families. Wellness, behavioral health, 
physical fitness, and educated operational risk analysis are paramount for career success.

The candidates who receive the first, second, and third highest number of votes will be elected to full, three year terms. The candidate who receives the fourth highest number of votes will be elected to serve the two years remaining on a recently vacated term.

2026 SHS Section Officer Election

There were four (4) uncontested positions for the 2026 election - chair, vice chair, secretary, and treasurer. As such, the sitting secretary cast her vote on a single-vote ballot and officially elected the following to two-year terms, beginning at FRI 2026:

Chair - Deputy Chief Darin Wallentine

Vice Chair - Chief Dave Emanuel

Secretary - Family Programs Director Joanne Rund (Chief, ret.)

Treasurer - CEO Todd LeDuc (Assistant Chief, ret.)