Jim Pauley, Chair
National Fire Protection Association
Amanda Kimball, Executive Director
The Fire Protection Research Foundation
Paul DeFronzo, Treasurer
National Fire Protection Association
Trustees
Chad Beebe, American Society for Healthcare Engineers
Chad Beebe is the Deputy Executive Director for the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association. He is an active member of the NFPA— serving on over 20 technical committee—, is a member of the NFPA Standards Council. Furthermore, Chad is also active on numerous national panels and committees, and is involved in developing regulations for health care facilities. Previously, Chad also served as the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) for the Washington State Department of Health from 1999 to 2010. In this role he managed the Construction Review program which oversees the design and construction of all health care-related facilities in the state.
John Denhardt, AFSA
John August Denhardt, P.E., ET, FSFPE, CWBSP, is Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services for AFSA. He is responsible for strengthening AFSA's engineering and technical approaches to meeting member, industry, and operational priorities, with an emphasis on service, quality, and integrity. Denhardt is a Professional Engineer (P.E.) registered in the District of Columbia as well as the states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. He is a NICET Level III in Automatic Sprinkler System Layout and Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems and an NFPA Certified Water-Based Systems Professional (CWBSP). A native of Maryland, Denhardt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland in College Park. He is a member of the NFPA 13 Sprinkler Discharge Committee and is a Fellow in the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). Denhardt is a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Research Foundation trustee, sits on the University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering’s Board of Visitors, and is a member of the SFPE Board of Directors.
Thomas Gell, Brandforsk
Thomas Gell is Director of Brandforsk, a non-profit body located in Sweden and formed in 1979 in collaboration between a wide ranges of fire protection stakeholders, with the purpose to initiate and fund research and knowledge development within the field of fire safety. Based on inherent similarities, Brandforsk has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Research Foundation to promote collaboration on areas of mutual interest. Thomas is also Director of Research and Innovation within the Swedish Fire Protection Association, and he is Chair of the Board for the Centre for Public Safety at Karlstad University, Sweden. He holds a MSc and Lic. Eng. in Marine Structural Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology. Following a number of years in the maritime industry, Thomas has been working for the Swedish Rescue Services Agency (SRSA) since the late 1980´s. During the years he has been responsible for a number of different functions within the SRSA such as the Dangerous goods section, the Risk- and Environment Department and the Department for Research and Analysis. He was Director of the Swedish Centre for Learning from Incidents & Accidents (NCO) within the SRSA and, from 2009, when the SRSA became part of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), head of the Lessons Learned Section within the MSB.
Lou Gritzo, FM Global
Dr. Louis Gritzo is vice president and manager of research with FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers. He oversees FM Global’s division of scientists who have expertise in fire, explosions, natural hazards (windstorms, floods and earthquakes), equipment, risk and reliability and cyber hazards. Gritzo also oversees activities at FM Global’s Research Campus in West Glocester, Rhode Island, USA, the world’s largest center for property loss prevention research.
He has served as chair of the Board of Directors of the Innovation Research Interchange, chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Heat Transfer Division Executive Committee, and on the Governing Board of the Global Earthquake Model, the ABET Industrial Advisory Committee, the Research Advisory Committee for the National Fire Protection Association, and on advisory committees for several universities. Gritzo has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, with a minor in applied mathematics, from Texas Tech University, USA.
Susan Lamont, Arup
Susan Lamont, CEng, PhD, is a Director in Arup’s Dubai office. She has over 17 years of experience in the fire protection industry in the UK, US, and Middle East. Her role on many projects is to guide the developer/owner through fire safety design, testing and commissioning to occupation and fire safety management of the completed building. Susan led the development of EFFECT TM, a risk assessment tool to help AHJs and other stakeholders assess the risk posed by combustible façade systems and prioritize remedial work across a portfolio of properties. She is actively involved in the industry both within the Middle East and Internationally. She has recently authored a fire safety code of practice for a major airport company and is currently working on a project to develop a unified Building Code for an international Government client.
Susan has a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering and a PhD in Fire Protection from the University of Edinburgh. Her Doctorate research looked at the response of composite steel frame structures in real fires. She has extensive experience in the field of structural fire engineering internationally and is recognized through her numerous conference and journal articles in this field. Susan is a chartered engineer and professional member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE).
Matthew Paiss, Technical Advisor, PNNL
Matthew Paiss serves as a Technical Advisor in the Battery Materials & Systems group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and leads their energy storage system safety efforts. Prior to joining PNNL, he was the President of Energy Response Solutions, Inc (a Training & Consultation firm). He brings 28 years of emergency response experience retiring as a Fire Captain with the San Jose CA Fire Department. His background in renewable energy started in 1982 at ARCO Solar in Camarillo, CA before studying Solar Technology and Fire Science in Santa Cruz, CA. Matt has 15 years’ experience on RE Codes & Standards committees and currently serves on NFPA 855 & 418, UL Standards Technical Panels 9540, 1974, and IEC TC120. He served as a subject matter expert for the National Fire Protection Association on energy storage and has contributed to the model Fire Code sections on PV & ESS. He has delivered electrical safety training to over 8000 firefighters and AHJ’s across North America and in Europe.
Peg Paul, Peg Paul Associates
Established in 2000, Peg Paul & Associates (PPA) is a marketing communications agency that specializes in developing and implementing multi-integrated information and education campaigns. PPA has established a niche in public safety promotion, and has been retained for this purpose by some of the leading national safety advocacy groups, trade associations and industries. Peg serves on the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Fire and Life Safety Section.
With more than 30 years of experience in the marketing communications industry, Peg has always been involved with consumer information and safety awareness programs. Peg has been the communications manager for the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition since 1997, where she oversees the development and implementation of educational programs for consumers, members of the fire service, home building industry, real estate and insurance agents, water purveyors and other targeted groups.
Rodger Reiswig, Johnson Controls
Rodger Reiswig is currently the VP of Industry Relations with Johnson Controls, and serves as their representative with multiple other organizations. His other engagements include his role as President of the Board of Directors of the Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFAA), Chair of the NEMA Signaling Section, 3SB, and serving on other multiple codes and standards committees— for NFPA alone, Rodger serves on twenty NFPA Technical Committees as well as the Standards Council. Rodger has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology as well as a Masters in Theology, both from Evangelical Theological Seminary, holds certifications from Two Rivers Technologies as a Master in Telecommunications.
Denise Smith, Ph.D., Professor, Skidmore College
Denise L. Smith, Ph.D. is a Professor of Health and Exercise Sciences at Skidmore College where she directs the First Responder Health and Safety Laboratory, and a Research Scientist at the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute. She is a passionate advocate for firefighter health and safety and routinely lectures at national and international conferences. She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Service Occupational Safety and Health committee, an investigator for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) firefighter fatality investigation and prevention program, and an Honorary Battalion Chief at Hanover Park FD.
She completed her doctorate in Exercise Physiology at The University of Illinois. Denise has coauthored an Exercise Physiology textbook, an Advanced Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology textbook, seven book chapters, and nearly scientific papers. She has received over $12 million in federal funding from FEMA-AFG, DHS S&T, NIOSH and DOD to pursue her research agenda aimed at understanding the physiological strain of firefighting and the health risks it imposes on firefighters. Specifically, her research is focused on the cardiac, vascular, and coagulatory changes that occur during emergency operations and how these changes increase the risk of sudden cardiac events.