Elizabeth Bednarcik serves as Deputy Chief of Prevention for Brighton Fire Rescue District in Colorado. With over two decades in public safety, she is committed to advancing community risk reduction as a whole-department responsibility, recognizing that preventing fires and other high-risk incidents not only protects the public but also reduces firefighter cancer exposure, traumatic events, and long-term occupational harm while strengthening the culture of prevention within the fire service. Her platform focuses on advancing the FLSS mission through three priorities.
First, strengthen member engagement. The Section has strong goals in code development, layered fire protection, and CRR, but our impact depends on active participation. Elizabeth will create clearer pathways for members to contribute to code proposals, research support, education initiatives, and nationwide campaigns.
Second, deepening collaboration. She will work to strengthen partnerships with other IAFC Sections and Divisions to ensure prevention and life safety are integrated into broader fire service strategy, including firefighter risk reduction and organizational culture change.
Third, expanding national alignment. Elizabeth will prioritize collaboration with the National Association of State Fire Marshals and other national partners to align model code advocacy, sprinkler initiatives, and CRR implementation across jurisdictions.
She believes the next evolution of our work is not rewriting the mission, but accelerating its execution through measurable outcomes, data-driven priorities, and stronger member involvement.