NAFTD 2025 Conference is September 22 to 25, Edmonton, Canada
Vector Solutions Travel Scholarship Awarded to NAFTD Member
Caroline Reed Awarded Vector Solutions Travel Scholarship to Attend 2025 NAFTD Conference
Caroline Reed, Director of Fire Service Training at Oklahoma State University (OSU), has been selected as the recipient of the first-ever Vector Solutions travel scholarship to attend the 2025 NAFTD (North American Fire Training Directors) Annual Conference in Edmonton, Canada.
A Legacy of Leadership and Service
Reed brings over 16 years of experience with OSU’s Fire Service Training (FST) program. Throughout her career, she has served in several key leadership roles, including assistant director (2013–2019), administrative manager (2004–2013), and certification coordinator (2003–2004). Her deep institutional knowledge and commitment to advancing fire service education have made her a pillar within the FST community.
A Transformative Opportunity
Expressing her gratitude for the scholarship, Reed stated:
“I am deeply honored and thrilled to receive the Vector Solutions travel scholarship to attend the 2025 NAFTD Annual Conference in Edmonton, Canada. This opportunity allows me to expand my knowledge, connect with my peer state and provincial training directors of fire training, and bring valuable insights back I will use in my role as the Director of Fire Service Training at Oklahoma State University. I am excited to attend the Conference and contribute to the advancement of fire service training in Oklahoma.”
Support from NAFTD Leadership
Jim Keiken, President of NAFTD, commended both Reed and the support from Vector Solutions:
“I would like to extend our gratitude to Vector for their generous support in providing a travel scholarship to Caroline Reed, our member from Oklahoma State Fire Training, to attend our 2025 Annual Conference in Edmonton, Canada. This scholarship will not only ease the financial burden on her agency but also allow her to partake in invaluable learning and networking opportunities at the Conference. Vector’s commitment to the advancement of fire training and education is truly commendable, and we are deeply appreciative of our partnership.”
Advancing Fire Service Training
The NAFTD Annual Conference brings together fire training directors from across North America to exchange best practices, explore innovations, and strengthen collaborative efforts. Reed’s participation, supported by this scholarship, will further bolster Oklahoma’s leadership in fire service training and reinforce OSU’s role in shaping the future of public safety education.
This award recognizes both Reed’s dedication to the field and Vector Solutions’ ongoing investment in the professional development of fire service leaders.
NAFTD 2025 Annual Conference, September 22 to 25,2025
NAFTD 2025 Annual Conference
Join with NAFTD members for networking, education, and training sessions focused on State Fire Training. Meet with exhibitors and vendors displaying the newest innovations for training academies.
The Conference will be September 22 to 25, 2025, Edmonton, Canada. Our host is Shawn McKerry of Lakeland College. Join us for a great networking and professional development event, and we will celebrate IFSI's 100th anniversary!
For more information contact kwillette@naftd.org , 774-200-7774
NAFTD Partners with NFPA To MAKE UPDATED TRAINING AVAILABLE
The North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD), have partnered with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) to share NFPA’s updated training program for first responders and their groundbreaking virtual training program. NFPA received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to build this training, which will enhance firefighter competency in responding to emerging distributed energy technologies and lithium-ion battery fires.
The NFPA Fire Incident Response Simulated Training (FIRST) Application offers a game-like simulated training experience designed to address renewable technology emerging hazards. This immersive program allows firefighters to train in realistic virtual scenarios, such as fighting electric vehicle and energy storage fires in residential garages. The application is based on real-world test data, enabling firefighters to engage in interactive, multi-user simulations that mirror actual incidents. This training is engineered to help improve their response times and effectiveness, ultimately enhancing public safety.
Through this collaboration, NAFTD members, who serve as the State and Provincial level directors of fire training in 64 states/provinces, can access this curriculum, at no charge, and include it in their training deliveries. This effort is supported by an Instructor Development Program provided by NFPA that provided nearly 100 NAFTD member agency instructors the background information needed to elevate their understanding of the curriculum and teaching points.
Access the free NFPA FIRST Training program.
To receive the updated Electric Vehicle and Photo Voltaic/Energy Storage System programs, contact kwillette@naftd.org
NAFTD ADOPTS STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL FF REGISTRY
To better understand the link between on-the-job exposure to toxicants and cancer, U.S. Congress directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to create the National Firefighter Registry (NFR).
The NFR will be a voluntary registry of all U.S. firefighters, not just those with cancer. The project is being led by the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which has the knowledge, expertise, experience, and resources to lead this type of project. The NFR will be used to monitor and better understand cancer among firefighters in the U.S.
Participation in the NFR is voluntary. However, it is the position of the North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD) that all firefighters—structural and wildland, career, and volunteer, active and retired, and those with and without cancer—should take part. Having broad and diverse participation is absolutely critical to the success of the NFR.
By supporting the NFR, NAFTD hopes to learn more about the health risks firefighters’ face. Information gleaned from this project will be useful to fire departments, fire service organizations, standard-setting organizations, and policy makers throughout the country.
NAFTD encourages training directors to take the following steps in anticipation of the NFR opening registration at the end of 2022:
· Advise your organization that the NFR is open to ALL firefighters, not just those with cancer.
· Encourage instructors and students to register and reassure them that the information they provide is confidential. It is anticipated that the entire registration process will take around 30 minutes for many participants. The registration process is likely to be even shorter for new recruits because of their limited work history. More information on the registration process is available at the NFR website (www.cdc.gov/NFR).
· Provide information about the NFR to instructors and students, including the QR code that will direct firefighters to the secure web portal when it launches. Communication materials will be available at the NFR website (www.cdc.gov/NFR) or upon request (email: NFRegistry@cdc.gov)
· Recommend that participating firefighters take part in follow-up questionnaires. These follow-up questionnaires may not be necessary for firefighters to register, but will likely be important for understanding risk factors and answering other important research questions.
· Tell others, including retired and volunteer firefighters, about the NFR. Word-of-mouth will be vital for increasing participation in the NFR.