Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder of the Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire Department and Lexpiol fire consultant will be honored with the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (FDIC). Previously the Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award, it was renamed in 2009 to honor Tom Brennan, a 35-year fire service expert, 1999 award recipient, and editor of Fire Engineering until his passing in 2006.
Chief Billy Goldfeder began attending FDIC in 1977 and has not missed a yearly conference in the 40 years since. He began instructing at the conference in 1982 and has been a member of the Advisory Board for the past 25 years. During an interview with FDIC Conference Director Diane Rothschild, Goldfeder said of receiving the award, “I’m still not sure I have fully grasped it. I’m beyond honored, thankful, and very appreciative.”
Goldfeder started his career in the fire industry as a firefighter in 1973 and has held chief officer positions since 1982, serving as Fire Chief for departments in Ohio, Virginia, and Florida, and is a 1992 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), September 11th Families Association, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System Task Force. He is also a subject matter expert for the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program.
Chief Goldfeder is a frequent instructor at national fire service training conferences including Fire-Rescue International, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) and FDNY Fire Officers Management Institute (FOMI). “I was given a chance to do some basic firefighter training as a firefighter in 1977 and have enjoyed instructing ever since, but I only instruct on things I have genuine and proven knowledge, training, and experience with,” said Goldfeder in his interview with Rothschild. He also provides consulting services for municipal and private corporations with a focus on firefighter safety and survival. For the past 12 years, Goldfeder has provided strategic consulting for Lexipol’s fire products and services, as well as guidance to Lexipol’s sales and business development team.
Goldfeder’s impact on firefighter safety and survival is undeniable, borne out by his contributions to all national fire service media as well as his passion for sharing information and lessons from firefighter line-of-duty deaths in his email newsletter, “The Secret List.” His monthly column “Close Calls” appears in Firehouse Magazine and his advice column “Nozzlehead” appears in FireRescue magazine. With Lexipol co-founder Gordon Graham, Goldfeder founded and hosts the website FireFighterCloseCalls.com, a free, independent site focused on firefighter safety and survival. Goldfeder has authored two popular books, Pass It On: What we know…What we want you to know! and Pass It On: The 2nd Alarm, with all royalties donated to the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation, the Chief Ray Downey Scholarship Fund, and the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.
The Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award is one of numerous operational and administrative awards and recognitions Goldfeder has received. Most recently, he was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Loveland City Council and Loveland-Symmes Fire Department. He has twice been recognized with an IAFC Exemplary Service Award and the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department Departmental Award of Excellence. He has also received the Firefighter Cancer Support Network Dallas Jones Memorial Award, International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) Everett E. Hudiburg Memorial Award for Firefighter Training Excellence, the Nassau County (NY) Frances X. Pendl Fire Service Humanitarian Award, IAFC Presidential Award, Dana Hannon Fire Training Award and International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) Fire Instructor of the Year Award. The Annual Billy Goldfeder Fire Service Organization Safety Award, named in his honor, was created through IAFC.
The award presentation will take place during the FDIC General Session on April 26, 2018, at the Indiana Convention Center.
