Chief Fish began his career in 1992 as a Volunteer Firefighter in Moreno Valley. Between 1995 and 2001, he worked as a State Dispatcher and Public Safety Communications Officer II in the Perris Emergency Command Center. In 2001, Chief Fish accepted a job as a Firefighter II Paramedic. For the following ten years, Chief Fish was promoted to Engineer Paramedic and Fire Captain Paramedic, working in the Coachella Valley, including the Cove Communities, La Quinta, and Mecca. In 2010 he accepted a transfer to the department's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Bureau. In 2015, Chief Fish was promoted to Battalion Chief with the CAL FIRE San Diego Unit as the Monte Vista ECC Chief. He returned to the Riverside Unit in 2017 as a Battalion Chief assigned to the Mountain Battalion. In February of 2019, Chief Fish accepted the Eastern Desert Division Chief position and returned to the Coachella Valley as the Fire Department Liaison for the Cities of Coachella, Indio, and La Quinta and the communities of Thermal, Mecca, and Blythe. He has served as the Deputy Chief of Eastern Operations for the past 5 years. In December 2025, Chief Fish was appointed the CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire, Unit Chief. Chief Fish holds an associate degree in Fire Technology, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Engineering Protection and Administration, and professional accreditation as a Chief Fire Officer (CFO) and Chief EMS Officer (CEMSO). He is a State Chief Fire Officer and still maintains his Paramedic license for the State of California. Chief Fish has been married for 22 years and has three children. His oldest son is an Engineer for the City of Jacksonville, Florida, his middle son is a Petty Officer Second Class in the United States Navy, and his youngest daughter attends college as a premed major.

Captain Blackburn has been a Firefighter for 23 years with the Los Angeles County Fire Dept. His current duties as a Peer Support Coordinator gives him a unique perspective on the attributes and qualifications for Peers that want to assist in large scale CISM responses. Being a part of multiple active duty and line of duty CISM responses for LACoFD and other critical responses for agencies throughout the state has given valuable experience to prepare him to be an Instructor for the ICISF in Crisis Responses, and Peer Para Counseling. When not working Captain Blackburn enjoys traveling the world with his Wife of 23 years and 4 children.

Megan Lautz is an award-winning Registered Dietitian specializing in first responders. Megan creates realistic nutrition strategies that lead to improved energy levels, better body composition, and reduced stress for first responders. Megan has worked full-time for departments of 1,600+ firefighters since 2017. Megan was the recipient of the ASPDA Trailblazer award, recognizing her work advancing dietetics in public safety. Megan owns RescueRD LLC, which provides custom nutrition programs for departments nationwide.

Samuel Crenshaw is a Fire Captain with the Sonoma County Fire District and a Helicopter Rescue Paramedic with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. With nearly two decades of experience spanning structural firefighting, advanced life support, wilderness medicine, and technical rescue, he has served in roles from frontline paramedic to leadership positions within local, state, and federal agencies. Previously, he worked with the National Park Service in Yosemite and Lake Mead, where he combined emergency response with program development, training, and interagency coordination. Beyond fire and EMS, Samuel has held leadership roles in education, including as a Teach For America Director and award-winning high school teacher. He holds master’s degrees from Brown University and the University of Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree with highest honors from UC Berkeley. Recognized with multiple awards for both lifesaving care and leadership, he continues to blend operational excellence with mentorship, training, and service to community.

Patrick Nulty serves as the EMS Battalion Chief for the Santa Monica Fire Department, where he leads multiple innovative programs focused on community risk reduction, mobile integrated healthcare, and EMS system optimization. With over two decades of experience in fire and emergency medical services, Chief Nulty has been instrumental in developing collaborative models that address high 9-1-1 utilization, improve patient outcomes, and enhance operational efficiency. He is a passionate advocate for data-driven decision-making, cross-sector partnerships, and scalable solutions that meet the evolving needs of communities.

Steven is a Registered Nurse and Paramedic with nearly 20 years of experience in various healthcare settings, including 911 EMS, Community Hospitals, Regional Trauma Centers, and Critical Access facilities. Currently serving as a Flight Nurse in the Bay Area, he also maintains his skills and versatility by working in hospital settings. Steven has actively volunteered with the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), contributing chapters to both the 8th and 9th editions of the Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC). He serves as a Chairperson for the California ENA Trauma Committee and is the Treasurer of the Bay Area Chapter of the ENA.

Vince Roldan has been a member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department for 23 years. He is currently a Fire Captain assigned as one of the department’s Peer Support Coordinators and serves as the department’s Lead Chaplain. Vince has been assigned as a Captain, Engineer, Firefighter Paramedic, and Firefighter throughout the County of Los Angeles. He has served as a chaplain for numerous families who have lost a loved one who was an active-duty firefighter including 4 families who lost their firefighter in the line-of-duty. Vince has served many families of both active duty and retired firefighters that have faced various crisis situations as both a chaplain and peer support team member. Vince enjoys sharing his knowledge that he has gained from classes in chaplaincy, peer support, critical incident stress management (CISM), and real-world experience. He has been happily married to his wife Maria for 30 years and is a father and grandfather.

Lourdes Betancourt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 15 years of experience in trauma-informed care. She specializes in treating individuals affected by trauma, including those who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, physical assault, and workplace-related injuries. Lourdes is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Flash techniques, and various other trauma modalities. Currently, she serves as a key provider at Boomerang Healthcare, where she contributes to the Trauma Rehabilitation Program and the Traumatic Brain Injury Program. Lourdes is dedicated to delivering high-quality mental health services within rehabilitation programs tailored for individuals recovering from work-related injuries. Her commitment to a multidisciplinary approach ensures that patients receive comprehensive support aimed at restoring hope and enhancing their overall health and quality of life.

Kwesi Millington was a police officer who responded to a call at an airport. What followed made national headlines, changed his life forever, and tested everything he thought he knew about justice, identity, and personal strength. He was wrongfully convicted of perjury, sentenced to prison, and stripped of his career. His story could have ended there. Instead, it became the foundation for his most powerful work. Today, Kwesi speaks to audiences who are walking through hardship of their own—students unsure of where they stand, professionals battling burnout, and first responders carrying more than most will ever understand. His message is simple: What feels broken can still make you stronger. And his goal is clear: Help people bounce back, move forward, and become unbreakable.

Victoria Hall began her career with the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health in 2005. Ms. Hall is committed to the health and wellness of her community as shown through her many years as a dedicated advocate for recovery and resiliency through education and compassion. As a Mental Health Education Consultant currently assigned to Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) Program for Law Enforcement and Community Partners, Ms. Hall has assisted in the delivery of trainings reaching thousands to provide education and information on ways to recognize a behavioral health crisis, communicate appropriately, de-escalate, and connect community residents and their families to appropriate resources. Ms. Hall is a certified San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Academy Instructor, a certified CIT Coordinator through CIT International, and holds additional certifications as a Mental Health First Aid Trainer, LEAP© Instructor and Trauma Informed Instructor through SAMHSA.

At a mere 46, I’m a happily married firefighter/paramedic with 26 years on the job, two lovely daughters who keep me humble, and a not-so-secret mission to take over the rope rescue world—one training course at a time. I’ve spent the last 16 years as a tactical SWAT medic, and for the past 4 years I’ve been the owner/operator of Prevail Rescue Solutions, bringing lightweight, rapid vertical mobility and practical casualty management to teams that want real-world performance, not just check-the-box certifications. Along the way, I’ve contributed to FIRESCOPE and NWCG REMS working groups, served on State Fire Training rewrite committees, spoken at educational conferences across the nation, and helped drive program development at the state level—because if we’re going to do this job, we might as well do it smarter, safer, and with a little grit baked in.

Michael Kaduce, MPS, NRP is the Director of the Falck Health Institute, where he leads national and international initiatives focused on EMS initial education, continuing education, and research. In this role, he oversees the development of innovative education programs designed to strengthen workforce readiness, clinical excellence, and evidence-based practice across prehospital systems. Michael previously served as the EMT Program Director at the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care within the David Geffen School of Medicine, where he led the largest EMT education program in the United States for six years. His work spans peer-reviewed publications, national research presentations, and authorship of the most widely used EMT and paramedic textbooks in the field. He serves as the West Coast Representative on the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians Board of Directors and teaches NAEMT courses globally. Michael is also a Research Associate with the UCLA Prehospital Care Research Forum. Before transitioning into education and research leadership, Michael worked as a firefighter paramedic, grounding his career in frontline EMS practice.