Art Currier retired from the USDA Forest Service in 2008 as a District Ranger on the Ochoco National Forest in Prineville Oregon. His 38 year career was spent working in a variety of positions on four National Forests in Oregon and Washington. He has a BS degree in Forest Management from Washington State University. While as a District Ranger the most difficult challenge he faced was when nine of his employees died while fighting a wildfire outside Glenwood Springs Colorado on Storm King Mountain in 1994. Art coordinated and worked with the 11 survivors on the crew, his workforce and the families of the nine employees who died. Art now travels and shares his experiences, to help prepare others, should they be thrust into the position of dealing with a line of duty death.

Chief Stan Gibson joined the Coos Bay, Oregon Fire Department in 1997. He had previously served as the Chief of Training for Perry Township Fire Department, in Indianapolis, and as the Indiana State Director of Fire Training. He started his fire service career in 1974 as a volunteer firefighter and became a career firefighter the next year.

Stan twice received the Indiana Fire Instructor of the Year Award. He is an adjunct instructor for the National Fire Academy, presenting in the areas of hazardous material, fire service training, and firefighter health and safety. He has delivered programs in 35 states on a variety of topics and is very active in the International Fire Service Training Association.

Chief John McGrath of the City of Raleigh Fire Department in Raleigh, NC was appointed this position in February 2006. Chief McGrath is a 31 year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department, served as the Deputy Commissioner where he commanded department operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management. A graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program, he has served as an adjunct instructor at the National Fire Academy on occasion.

A second-generation Philadelphia firefighter, John has worked in every rank as a field commander. In these roles, he has been involved in all phases of the department's response and outreach following line-of-duty deaths.

Chief McGrath serves as a senior member of the incident command staff during the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Weekend.

Chief Mark Wessel joined the fire service with the Keokuk, Iowa Fire Department in 1975. Keokuk is a community of approximately 12,000 residents that serves as a major industrial and commercial base to the Tri-state Area of Iowa, Missouri and Illinois.

The Keokuk Fire Department is comprised of 19 full time personnel and responds to an average of 1000 calls for service annually. Chief Wessel served as a firefighter until 1983 and was then promoted to Lieutenant and served as a Company Officer. In 1988, Chief Wessel was again promoted to the position of Assistant Chief and served as a Shift Commander until 1997 when he was appointed to the position of Chief of the Department. Chief Wessel continues to serve in that position. Chief Wessel serves as the 2nd Vice President of the Missouri Valley Division of the IAFC and is a Past President of the Iowa Association of Professional Fire Chiefs. Chief Wessel and his department suffered a tragic loss of three firefighters on December 22, 1999 in a flashover while attempting a rescue of three children trapped in the upstairs of the structure. All perished in the fire.

Chief Wessel has dedicated himself to sending a message of firefighter safety in operations and training since that day. He has presented a number of programs to a number of fire departments, elected officials and various other groups regarding safety on the emergency scene and during training evolutions. He has partnered with Chief Billy Goldfeder at FDIC Indy and FDIC East in 2004 presenting the program "C H A N G E S".

Vickie Taylor, LCSW, of Prince William County, Virginia, has worked in community mental health for 27 years. She specializes in providing training, counseling, and support services to public safety personnel and their families and to organizations across the country. She has authored many papers, brochures, and articles on grief as it relates to public safety officers. Vickie is regarded as a national expert in this field.

For the past 14 years, Vickie has coordinated the Family Day sessions held in conjunction with the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. She serves as the senior grief specialist for all National Fallen Firefighters Foundation programs, including ongoing training and support for the Counseling Services Unit of the Fire Department of New York.

Joddie Walker, MS, of Adams County, Pennsylvania, has worked in the mental health field for 15 years and has direct experience with offenders and victims of violence, as well as extensive expertise in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, terrorism, and families of homicide. She specializes in providing crisis intervention and advocacy to victims of violence and providing training and education on victimology to police, fire and EMS. Joddie has authored papers, training manuals and materials on victim issues. She possesses her Masters of Science in Forensic Psychology.

Over the past 15 years, Joddie's broad professional experience includes conducting Critical Incident Stress Debriefings on a multi-disciplinary team of police, fire, mental health, medical and EMS. She also conducted critical incident stress debriefings and individual sessions for victims of 9/11 that include those from the South Tower and for the New York City Police Department.

Frank Zieziula, Ph.D., L.P.C. is professor of counseling at Gallaudet University in Washington DC area for more than 10 years. During the same time period, he has been a member of the professional team who has provided support for the families of fallen firefighters through the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Weekend

Eileen Coglianese of Chicago, Illinois, is the widow of Lt. Edmond Coglianese, a career firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department. On January 26, 1986, Ed died of carbon monoxide intoxication while fighting a fire in a transient hotel. Eileen and Ed had two children, Allyson, twelve, and Matthew, nine at the time of their father's death.

Eileen has been volunteering for the Foundation for the past eight years. Eileen is one of the co-founders of the Chicago Fire Department Gold Badge Society, a support group for widows and families of LODD in Chicago.

Eileen has been volunteering for the Foundation for the past eight years. Eileen is one of the co-founders of the Chicago Fire Department Gold Badge Society, a support group for widows and families of LODD in Chicago.

Patricia Stonaker of Bath, Pennsylvania has been an EMT for 15 years and is the Captain of her volunteer ambulance corps. She works full time for the Colonial Regional Police Department as the Administrative Assistant.

Pat's father, Richard Liddy, was a New Jersey volunteer fireman for over 42 years. He served with Bernardsville Fire Department for 18 years and the Basking Ridge Fire Department for 24 years. During this time he served as the Chief, President and various other offices. In 1994, while responding to a fully engulfed, arson-set, house fire; he suffered an acute MI. Fellow firefighters performed CPR and used their brand new AED on him. They were able to regain a heart rhythm but after five days the family decided to cease life support.

Richard Liddy left behind a wife, one adult son, four adult daughters and five grandchildren. In 1995 he was honored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and since that honor; his family has volunteered their time to the Foundation. Frances, his wife, sews the black bands for the firefighter's badges, his daughters Sue and Nancy send out remembrance cards to families and his daughters Pat and Carol attend the Memorial Weekend every year to assist with the "new" honored families.

Helen Reiner Worthen of Los Angeles, California, is the mother of Eric Reiner, a career firefighter/paramedic with the City of Los Angeles Fire Department. On March 23, 1998, Eric died in a helicopter crash while airlifting a young girl who had been seriously injured in an auto accident. The three paramedics and the young girl they were transporting died when the helicopter crashed due to rotor failure.

Helen has been a member of the Foundation's Fire Service Survivors Network for over 6 years. Through the Network she reaches out to newly bereaved parents throughout the year all over the United States. She also co-facilitates Mothers' small groups during the annual Memorial Weekends at Emmitsburg. Helen represents the Foundation at local, state and national fire service meetings as needed.

* Updated November 2008