Webinar - Collective Impact: Collaborative Strategies for Fire and Life Safety Education

Angela Potter, Fire and Life Safety Educator for the Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal, began her career in Emergency Services in 1999.  She graduated from the University of Akron with an Associate Degree in Emergency Medical Services and holds certifications as a FF2, EMT-P, FLSE II, FSI, YFIS, Youth Firesetting Program Manager and Peer Support. Angela has also studied at the Ohio Fire Academy and the National Fire Academy.  She specializes in data analysis, community risk reduction and public education programs.   

Before accepting her current position in the Prevention Bureau, Angela worked for a local fire department and started a public outreach program for students, aged Preschool through High School, where she taught safety lessons with her certified therapy dog, Ahrens.  Throughout her career, Angela has been passionate about building strong partnerships and in 2020, founded Northeast Ohio Safety Educators Network (NEOSEN) to support those invested in safer communities.  Since inception, over 2,300 educators have taken part in training offered through NEOSEN and members have collaborated on several successful projects, including Kids Safety Day for home schooled children; Pet Safety Day; and the Summit County Fire Safety Project – aimed at providing fire safety education and equipment to residential facilities serving people with developmental disabilities.  In addition to NEOSEN, Angela serves as an Executive Board Member of the North Eastern Ohio Fire Prevention Association (NEOFPA); and is a member of the Ohio Society of Fire Service Instructors (OSFSI), Northwest Ohio Fire Prevention Association (NWOFPA) as well as Safe Kids Coalition (Akron).  Recently, she was named 2024 Ohio Fire Safety Educator of the Year by the Ohio Department of Public Safety.  

Angela lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, Richard; children, Aiden and Alivia; and rescue Labradors, Anala and Draeger.  In her free time, she enjoys running, playing soccer, and vacationing with family.