Roundtable Talk - Community Risk Reduction for Fire Departments: Strategies for a Safer Community

Lt. Michael McLeieer has been in the fire service for over 25 years, is certified Firefighter II, Fire Officer III, Fire Instructor III, public fire and life safety educator, youth firesetter intervention specialist, and has served on fire departments in both Michigan and Massachusetts. He has served as the training and scheduling training coordinator for the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and was in charge of the statewide youth fire intervention program.  He is a National Fire Academy contract instructor and also serves as a past president of the Massachusetts Institute of Fire Department Instructors, the Michigan State Firemen’s Association, founder of the nonprofit organization E.S.C.A.P.E. Inc (Education Showing Children and Adults Procedures for Evacuations), and launched the statewide public education and alarm installation campaign Keeping Michigan S.A.F.E.™ (Smoke Alarms for Everyone).

Debbie Carpenter is a Deputy State Fire Marshal with the State of Idaho. Prior to this position, she served for 27 years with Carrollton, TX, Fire Rescue and was the Fire Chief with Spirit Lake Fire Protection District in North Idaho. She earned a Master of Science in Public Safety Administration from Lewis University and is a graduate of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s Fire Service Chief Executive Officer program.

Debbie was one of the inaugural members of iDELP, the Diversity Executive Leadership Program with the IAFC. She has also served as a co-chair on the IAFC Training and Education Development Committee and helped to write the IAFC’s Guide for Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Department. She teaches across the country on ethics and DEI in public safety and at the University of New Hampshire on fire service administration.

Through the fire service, Debbie found Parkland Burn Camp, where she plays as a camp counselor at a week-long summer camp for children who have been hospitalized with burn injuries. She is also a board member for Laughter League, a national non-profit that provides medical clowning at children’s hospitals across the U.S. 

Wendy is a seasoned professional with over 14 years of experience in Community Risk Reduction (CRR). Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Education, she has recently earned a Project Management certificate from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Occupational Safety and Health, with a focus on Environmental Management.

Passionate about CRR, she is driven by the opportunity to enhance community safety by empowering residents to prevent or better prepare for and respond to emergencies. In addition to improving the safety of homes, businesses, institutions, and people, she works diligently to alleviate the demands on firefighters, thus reducing their risk too! Her daily commitment is to improve the quality of life for citizens and firefighters by implementing strategic risk-reduction measures that create safer, more resilient communities.

Mike Weller is the program manager for the National Fire Academy’s Community Risk Reduction curriculum. Mike is a tenured NFA instructor, course developer and respected national leader in community risk reduction. He co-developed much of the existing NFA Community Risk Reduction and WUI: Fire Adapted Communities series of courses.

In his first career, Mike led the development and execution of an internationally recognized whole community risk reduction strategy in an urban setting (Hagerstown, MD). Mike holds a Master of Education degree from the University of MD, received the 2018 Dr. Anne W. Phillips Lifetime Achievement Award for leadership in fire and life safety education, and was recognized in 2022 by Fire Rescue One magazine as one of the most influential fire service leaders of all time.

Mike began his 50-year journey in the emergency services as a volunteer and is grateful for the friends and mentorships, education, and experience he has benefitted from along the way.