Education & Networking: Fire Leadership Challenge 2026

Monday, October 19, 2026
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM	Colorado Fire Commission
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM	Pre-Conference Workshops CFTOA - Training Officer Workshop - (FREE)
11:30 AM - 5:00 PM	Pre-Conference Workshops Forged to Lead - Fire Chief Forum ($45) Jeremy Young, Frederick-Firestone Fire District Alec Oughton, Aurora Fire Rescue Randy Royal, Colorado Springs Fire Dept Jason Caughey, Laramie County Fire Authority
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM	Pre-Conference Workshops First-Arriving Company Officer Strategy & Tactics - How We Make Sound Decisions to Set Up the Scene for Success ($35) David Carpenter, Adams County Fire Lane Walter, Denver Fire Department
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM	CFTOA Membership Meeting
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM	Rocky Mountain Accreditation & Credentialing Meeting
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM	CSFC Wildland Fire Section Meeting			CSFC Health and Safety Section Meeting
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM	CSFC Volunteer & Combination Chiefs Section Meeting			Fire Marshals Association of Colorado (FMAC) Annual Meeting
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM	ALL LEAD + FMS Leading Through Crisis: FBI Lessons for Fire Service Leaders John Iannarelli, FBIJohn
3:15 PM - 4:30 PM	Colorado State Fire Chiefs Annual Membership Meeting
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM	Colorado Firefighter Heart, Cancer & Behavioral Health Benefits Trust Meeting
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM	Networking Events Fire Leadership Challenge Welcome Reception
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM	Networking Breakfast with Exhibitors
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Exhibit Hall Open
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM	Keynote Session Opening Welcome & Keynote: Cornerstones of Leadership for Real World Success – On and Off the Fireground Frank Leeb, First Responder Center for Excellence
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM	Networking Events Networking Break with Exhibitors
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM	LEAD Series - Company Officer Learning Without Burning, The Art of Vicarious Learning Clint Fey, West Metro Fire Rescue Travis Hopwood, West Metro Fire Rescue		LEAD Series - Chief Officer Executive Presence: Is That Really a Thing and Why Should I Care? Stephen Ingalls, Catalyzer		Fire Marshal Symposium Complaint Process Case Study: What Worked? What Didn't? How Do We Fix It? Bryan Kendall, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM	LEAD Series - Company Officer Moral Resilience Workshop: Unpacking Moral Distress, Discussing Mitigation Strategies, and Building Resilience Rachel Topazian, University of Colorado School of Medicine Gianna Morales, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus		LEAD Series - Chief Officer BUILT TO LAST: A Tactical Approach to Firefighter Performance, Purpose, and Longevity Kory Pearn, CRACKYL Media, Inc.		Fire Marshal Symposium Wildfire Prepared, the Next Step in a Wildfire Resilient Colorado Mark Novak, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM	Networking Events Lunch in the Exhibit Hall
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM	Keynote Session FIRETalks Robert Weisbaum, Crested Butte Fire Protection District Oren Bersagel-Briese, Castle Rock Fire Department Jeremy Metz, West Metro Fire Protection District
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM	Networking Break with Exhibitors
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM	LEAD Series - Company Officer Scene Integrity: Preservation and Destruction Todd Hedglin, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control			LEAD Series - Chief Officer Chiefs Against Everything and the Trap of a CAVE Mentality Brian Schaeffer, Columbia, MO Fire Department
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM	Fire Marshal Symposium Emerging Trends Roundtable Sarah Carter, International Code Council Kara Gerczynski, Elizabeth Fire Protection District Alec Oughton, Aurora Fire Rescue Sandra Friedrichsen, Windsor Severance Fire Rescue Steven Parker, Arvada Fire Protection District
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM	LEAD Series - Chief Officer Beyond the Veto: Advancing Cancer Benefits for Colorado Firefighters Ken Watkins, Colorado State Fire Chiefs Kevin Reichenbach, IAFF-Colorado (Colorado Professional Fire Fighters) Paula Lowder, Colorado Firefighter Trust
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM	LEAD Series - Company Officer 'Good Enough' Leaders Are Good Enough! Garry Briese, Colorado State Fire Chiefs
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM	Networking Events Exhibit Hall Reception & Drawing
Thursday, October 22, 2026
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM	Networking Breakfast with Exhibitors
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM	Keynote Session DFPC Awards & Keynote: Leaders Must Have a Bold Vision — and a Plan Dan Munsey, San Bernardino County Fire Department (CA)
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM	Networking Break with Exhibitors
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM	LEAD Series - Company Officer Common Occupancy, Uncommon Response: Preparing Firefighters for What's Not in the SOPs Frank Leeb, First Responder Center for Excellence	LEAD Series - Chief Officer Budgeting in Uncertain Times Jim Pauley, Brighton Fire Rescue District		Fire Marshal Symposium Artificial Intelligence for the Fire Marshal's Office: Practical Applications, Real-World Solutions Dr. Ben Stone, Dr. Ben Stone Executive Consulting		DFPC Hosted Strengthening Colorado’s Fire Service: Understanding Needs, Finding Solutions Lisa Pine, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Vaughn Jones, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control TJ Steck, Elizabeth Fire Rescue Jess Solze, Hugo Fire Protection District
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM	LEAD Series - Company Officer Leadership Anecdotes of a Fire Service Lifetime Bob Olme, South Adams County Fire Department	LEAD Series - Chief Officer Correcting Course: Strategies for Navigating Firehouse Discipline Ken Watkins, Colorado State Fire Chiefs		Fire Marshal Symposium Code Adoption and Legal Aspects Emily Powell, Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC		DFPC Hosted COTAK: A Free Real-time Location Service for Colorado First Responders Brad Schmidt, COTAK
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM	Lunch with Exhibitors
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM	LEAD Series - Chief Officer + Company Officer How We Respond to ASHER Events: Beyond Rescue Task Force Alec Oughton, Aurora Fire Rescue Travis Norton, National Tactical Officers Association			DFPC Hosted Code Adoption in Colorado: Who Decides What Keeps Us Safe? Christopher Brunette, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control
1:30 PM - 3:15 PM	Fire Marshal Symposium The Right of Entry – Rights, Risks, and Best Practice Sam Light, CIRSA
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM	DFPC Hosted Strengthening Colorado’s Fire Service: Understanding Needs, Finding Solutions Lisa Pine, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Vaughn Jones, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control TJ Steck, Elizabeth Fire Rescue Jess Solze, Hugo Fire Protection District
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM	LEAD Series - Chief Officer + Company Officer Operational Readiness Begins with Leadership: Building a Safe, Healthy, and Sustainable Fire Service powered by CRACKYL Magazine Kory Pearn, CRACKYL Media, Inc. MaKenzie Tiegs, CRACKYL Media, Inc. Dr. Sara Metz, Code-4 Counseling Manny Almaguer, Denver Fire Department Paul Walton, Firefighters for Plant Medicine Ryan Provencher, Firefighter Peak Performance \| CRACKYL Magazine René Macias, City and County of Denver Department of Public Safety
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM	Fire Marshal Symposium Budgeting Through the Lens of NFPA 1730: Using Data to Justify Resources Sandra Friedrichsen, Windsor Severance Fire Rescue
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM	Networking Events Networking Reception at the Keystone Adventure Center
Friday, October 23, 2026
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM	Networking Breakfast & BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) - Mike Abrashoff Book Signing
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM	Keynote Session Keynote: It's Your Ship – Achieving Breakthrough Performance Mike Abrashoff
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM	LEAD Series - Company Officer The Resilient Firefighter is Built, Not Treated Jeremy Young, Frederick-Firestone Fire District Sammy Freyta, Frederick-Firestone Fire District		LEAD Series - Chief Officer Preparing and Recruiting Executive Level Chief Staff Brycen Garrison, Brighton Fire Rescue District		Fire Marshal Symposium Credentialing 101: The Application Process and Keys to Success Chris Angermuller, Windsor Severance Fire Rescue
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM	Keynote Session Inspiring Success Bob Norton, Norton Development Group
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM	Closing Comments & Distribution of LEAD Certificates

Check out the Agenda