OREGON FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION

Day 1: Tuesday, May 12

Speaker: Matt Caward

The RGB Mindset and the 8 Rules: A Fire Officer’s Blueprint for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence

Culture determines everything: morale, retention, communication, safety, performance, and how well a department can execute its mission. Yet firehouse culture rarely changes by accident. It changes through leadership, clarity, and consistent daily behaviors.

In this engaging and practical session, Division Chief Matthew S. Caward presents The 8 Rules of Building a Culture of Excellence, a proven, field-tested leadership model used by company officers and chief officers across the country. These eight rules provide a blueprint for strengthening communication, elevating teamwork, reducing conflict, and cultivating high-performance crews.

Using real-world fireground stories, station-level leadership challenges, and the RGB Mindset framework, Chief Caward shows how officers at every level of the organization can influence culture through the RGB Mindset and a proven methodology that guides preparation, discipline, gratitude, trust, accountability, and intentional leadership habits. Attendees will leave with clear, practical tools they can use on their very next shift to boost morale, build trust, and foster a fire department culture where people are driven to excel and enjoy their work.

Participants will learn how to:

• Apply The 8 Rules to create predictable, high-trust firehouse culture
• Strengthen communication, clarity, and collaboration within crews
• Build daily leadership habits that improve morale and accountability
• Understand and apply the RGB Mindset to reduce conflict and improve coaching
• Build a performance-driven culture that supports recruitment, retention, and safety
• Utilize the Continuous Loop of Greatness (Protect, Prepare, Perform, Persevere) to drive growth and resilience

About

Matt Caward has extensive experience building successful organizational cultures in the Fire Service, Professional Sports, full-time ministry, and business. Matt is a certified smoke diver, a published author, and a 24-year veteran of the Fire Service, having served 20 years with the Bernalillo County Fire Department in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and as the Division Chief of Operations and Training at the Grand Island Fire Department in Nebraska.

Matt is the founder and former owner of the two-time world champion professional arena football franchise, the Duke City Gladiators. Matt is a successful business owner and an ordained pastor with more than 20 years of experience. He holds multiple CPC credentials, including Fire Officer (FO), Chief Fire Officer (CFO), and Chief Training Officer (CTO) from the Center of Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), where he serves as a peer reviewer and mentor. Matt is a graduate of the NFA’s Managing Officer Program, a current EFO student, and a graduate of the 22nd Fire Service Chief Executive Officer Program at Texas A&M and TEEX. Matt served on the IAFC’s Company Officers Section Board, is an active member of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors and the Institution of Fire Engineers. He is a doctoral student in Organizational Leadership with both an MBA and a master’s degree in theology. He has bachelor’s degrees in fire and emergency services administration and Biblical theology, is an instructor at the National Fire Academy, is the Founder and CEO of RGB Firehouse Leadership, and is a U.S. Army veteran.

Speaker: Special Districts Association of Oregon

Coming soon

Speaker: Jeremy Craft

Coming soon

Speaker: Sal Scarpa

The Generational Shift: Strategies for Mentoring and Leading Today’s Firefighters

This presentation, The Generational Shift: Strategies for Mentoring and Leading Today’s Firefighters, focuses on leading the next generation of firefighters and adapting leadership approaches to meet evolving workforce expectations. The fire service is changing rapidly, and successful leaders must embrace strategies that engage, mentor, and inspire firefighters across multiple generations.

The session explores three key areas:

• Leading the next generation of firefighters will require different approaches than in the past. We must reevaluate our leadership styles and identify effective strategies to develop and support them.
• A one-size-fits-all leadership model is unlikely to succeed. While we do not need to cater to the whims of every new firefighter, leaders must learn to pivot and mentor effectively based on generational strengths and needs.
• Key generational characteristics will be explored, as well as actionable leadership strategies to engage, inspire, and retain talent in today’s diverse fire service workforce.

Learning Objectives

• Understand why leading the next generation of firefighters requires a shift in leadership approaches and strategies.
• Recognize that a one-size-fits-all leadership style is ineffective and explore flexible methods to mentor and inspire across generations.
• Identify the defining characteristics and expectations of different generations within the fire service workforce.
• Apply targeted leadership strategies to improve engagement, mentorship, and retention among multi-generational teams.

About

A thirty-five year fire service veteran, Chief Scarpa currently serves as the Fire-EMS Chief for Columbus, Georgia’s second largest city. He has written numerous articles for the fire service and presented at many regional, national, and international conferences on contemporary issues in the fire service. Sal has an associate’s degree in fire science, a bachelor’s degree in public administration, and a master’s degree in leadership studies. He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer (EFO) program, a credentialed Chief Fire Officer (CFO) with the Center for Public Safety Excellence, and a graduate of the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI). Sal serves as a Commissioner for the Center for Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) representing metro fire agencies and is a member of the Board of Directors for the CPSE Center for Innovation. He serves as a committee lead for the World Fire Congress Community of Practice on Climate Change representing metro fire agencies. Sal also serves on numerous boards and committees representing the fire service locally, regionally, and nationally.

Speaker: Jeff Pricher

UAS in the Fire Service: Practical Applications and Emerging Opportunities in Oregon

Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) are rapidly becoming essential tools for the fire service, from structure fires and search and rescue to complex wildland incidents. This session will provide a grounded overview of how Oregon fire agencies can safely and effectively integrate UAS into operations, with a focus on what is working locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

We will walk through the key Oregon Revised Statutes that govern public safety UAS operations, recent bills and rulemaking where the fire service has provided input, and how the Oregon Department of Aviation and FAA registration requirements shape agency responsibilities. Attendees will also hear about current Oregon UAS projects, including SPIRE-funded equipment, Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) innovations, and how statewide grant programs are supporting situational awareness and incident response.

The presentation will highlight resources and professional networks such as DRONERESPONDERS, the Fire Service Robotics Work Group, the NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Subcommittee, and National Fire Academy UAS Train-the-Trainer courses, and how they can support program development and training pathways. We will close with practical considerations for UAS use on wildfires, lessons from current deployments, and a realistic look at the future of UAS in Oregon’s fire service, aimed at helping agencies of all sizes decide if and how UAS might fit into their mission.

About

Jeff Pricher is the Fire Chief of the Scappoose Fire District in Oregon, where he focuses on supporting his crews and community through fire, EMS, wildland, and special operations services. He has more than 20 years of experience in specialized rescue and response, including swiftwater and rope rescue, marine firefighting, REMS, and Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), and was a key partner in helping create the UAS Instructor Train-the-Trainer courses at the National Fire Academy.

Jeff is involved in several groups working to improve how drones and robotics are used in public safety. He serves as Vice President of the Cascade Chapter of AUVSI, represents the International Association of Fire Chiefs on the NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Subcommittee, serves on the advisory board for DRONERESPONDERS, and is Vice Chair of the Fire Service Robotics Workgroup. He also serves on the Oregon Department of Aviation board by gubernatorial appointment and participates on the steering committee for the Law Enforcement Drone Association.

In addition to his work in Scappoose, Jeff volunteers with the Hood River Crag Rats mountain rescue team. He previously served 24 years as a Safety Officer on a federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is a current member and Safety Officer of one of the federal Northwest Complex Incident Management Teams (CIMT). He is also a co-author of Wildland Firefighter: Principles and Practice with Jones and Bartlett and the chair of the Fire & EMS workgroup that brings together about 35 regional fire agencies.

Day 2: Wednesday, May 13

Speaker: Sara Jahnke

Coming soon

Speaker: Panel Discussion

Coming soon

Speaker: Josh Goldberg

Called to Serve, Not Sentenced to Suffer

For too long, the fire service has operated under a dangerous assumption: that the struggles inherent to this profession inevitably lead to damage. We have been led to believe that PTSD is the price of service.

But what if struggle is not the enemy? What if it is actually the pathway to becoming stronger, wiser, and more connected?

This session introduces a radically different approach rooted in three decades of research on Posttraumatic Growth, and more than a decade of application. Drawing from studies of POWs, combat veterans, and first responders, we will explore how the most difficult experiences in life can become catalysts for profound transformation rather than permanent wounds.

More importantly, we will examine the critical role leaders play in this equation. The culture you create, the language you use, and the example you set determine whether your people hide their struggles or grow through them.

You will leave with practical frameworks for shifting your department’s mindset from “everyone gets PTSD” to “we struggle well here,” along with specific actions you can take to build teams that are stronger because of what they have faced, not despite it.

About

Josh is the Chief Executive Officer of the Boulder Crest Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring first responders, combat veterans, and their family members live great lives in the midst of struggle, stress, and trauma.

Prior to his appointment as CEO in January 2023, Josh co-founded and led the Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) from 2018-2022, and led the development of the first-ever programs based on the science of PTG, Warrior PATHH and Struggle Well. Since Boulder Crest’s founding in 2013, the organization has trained more than 180,000 combat veterans, first responders, and their family members to transform struggle into strength and growth.

In 2018, Josh, along with Boulder Crest’s Founder and Chairman, Ken Falke, published Struggle Well: Thriving in the Aftermath of Trauma. In 2020, Josh and Ken co-authored Transformed by Trauma: Stories of Posttraumatic Growth alongside Dr. Richard Tedeschi and Dr. Bret Moore.

In 2017, Josh was named one of 60 Presidential Leadership Scholars, a program from the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Prior to joining Boulder Crest in 2014, Josh worked as a communications executive at ExxonMobil’s Dallas headquarters from 2006-2011 and was an entrepreneur-in-residence at 2M Companies. In 2013, Josh decided to dedicate his life to ensuring that all those who serve our nation have the opportunity to transform their struggle into profound strength and Posttraumatic Growth.

Salem Fire Ambulance Conversation

Coming soon

Day 3: Thursday, May 14

Speaker: Mariana Ruiz-Temple

Coming soon

Speaker: Eric Saylors

Quantifying the Negative: Measuring What Doesn’t Happen in Fire Service Risk Reduction

Fire departments traditionally measure success through visible outcomes: response times, incident counts, and suppression effectiveness. Yet some of the most important successes in the fire service are the incidents that never occur. Prevented fires, avoided injuries, and reduced community risk are often invisible in traditional metrics. This presentation explores how fire departments can begin quantifying the negative, measuring the value of prevention, mitigation, and proactive risk-reduction strategies.

Based on the research conducted for a master’s thesis, this presentation examines methods for identifying and measuring outcomes associated with Community Risk Reduction (CRR), prevention programs, training improvements, and operational policy changes. Using data analysis, comparative modeling, and case examples, the research demonstrates how agencies can estimate avoided incidents, reduced loss, and improved safety outcomes.

The session will discuss practical approaches for fire service leaders to translate prevention efforts into measurable impacts that can be communicated to policymakers, governing boards, and the public. By reframing success as the absence of tragedy, fire departments can better articulate the value of proactive strategies and support evidence-based decision-making.

Attendees will leave with concepts and tools for integrating prevention metrics into department performance systems and strengthening the narrative around the fire service’s most important mission: protecting communities from events that never happen.

About

Eric Saylors is a Fire Chief with 30 years of experience and a Doctorate in Leadership from USC. He currently serves the El Cerrito/Kensington Fire Department, having previously served with the Sacramento City Fire Department for 25 years. During his career, he has held the ranks of paramedic firefighter, engineer, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, and fire chief. He has worked on an ambulance, fire engine, ladder truck, Type 1 hazmat team, and heavy rescue unit. He has experience in high-rise, large commercial, urban interface, basement, and balloon construction fires. Before promoting to the executive staff, he served as BC1, the battalion chief in downtown Sacramento.

In addition to his doctorate, he holds two associate degrees and a bachelor’s degree in finance, as well as a master’s degree in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS).

Speaker: Eriks Gabliks

Happy 250th Birthday America - Issues Facing Today’s Fire Service Leaders

Ben Franklin got it all started and we have made amazing progress over the past 250 years. While much has been done, there is still work to do. Applicants for fire service vacancies are not knocking on your door anymore, fire apparatus has never cost so much, in many communities residents have lost touch with their fire department, social media is either a blessing or a curse, and more. Let’s discuss the issues facing today’s fire service leaders and let’s look at what is being done by your peers to address them.

About

Eriks Gabliks has served in various leadership positions over the past 25 years at the local, state, and federal levels. He has led career and volunteer organizations ranging in size from 75 to more than 400 members. Eriks holds a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Portland State University, is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and the Executive Development Institute at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He is a life member of the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association, a past president of the North American Fire Training Directors, and is active in several national organizations. He is a first-generation Latvian and speaks, reads, and writes the language.