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Leadership and Instruction Member Bios
Clay Bentley – Clay
has been a fire fighter for 10 years, first with Birmingham Fire-Rescue
Services Department, and currently with the Hoover Fire Department. Clay is
also a Captain with the Thorsby Volunteer Fire Department. He received his
degree in Business Administration/Management from the University of
Montevallo and his Associates in Fire Science from Jefferson State
College. He is a certified Fire Fighter I & II, Fire Instructor I, II, &
III, Apparatus Operator: Pumper, Fire Inspector I, Fire Officer I,II, & III,
and Hazardous Materials Technician.
Lynn Bonner – Chief Bonner has been with Vestavia Hills
Fire Department for thirty years. He has worked his way up through the
ranks from firefighter to Battalion Chief, and he also currently serves as
Training Officer, a position he has held since 2000. Lynn holds an
Associate Degree in Fire Science from Jefferson State,
and his certifications include Fire Fighter I and II, Fire Officer I, II and
III, Fire Instructor I, II and III, Apparatus Operator Pumper, and Hazardous
Materials Technician. Chief Bonner is certified as Health and Safety
Officer, Public Information Officer, SCBA Specialist, WMD Incident
Management and WMD Threat & Risk Assessment.
Brian Bonner –
Lt. Bonner has been with the Homewood Fire and Rescue Service for over 12
years and has over 16 years of fire service experience. Lt. Bonner holds an
Associate’s degree in Fire Science from Jefferson State Community College
and a Bachelor of Science degree from Athens State University. He is
currently a student in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer
Program and is working on a Master’s degree in Public Administration. Lt.
Bonner holds certifications in Firefighter I; Firefighter II; Instructor I;
Instructor II; Fire Officer I, II, III and IV; Fire Department Safety
Officer; Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I and II, Apparatus Operator–Pumper;
and Apparatus Operator–Aerial from the Alabama Fire College. Lt. Bonner has
received certification as a Hazardous Material Technician and Confined Space
Entry Technician from the University of Alabama Birmingham. Lt. Bonner is a
certified EMT-Paramedic and instructs CPR, ACLS, BTLS, PEPP and EMD.
Bobby Brooks
–
With 17 years experience
with Phenix City Fire Rescue, Captain Bobby Brooks is currently the
department’s training officer. Bobby has an Associate’s degree in Fire
Science from Chattahoochee Valley Community College and has worked through
the Fire Fighter/NREMT-Paramedic, Sergeant/Driver Engineer, and Company
Officer positions through the years. He is a certified Firefighter I and II;
Fire Instructor I and II; Fire Officer I, II, and III; Apparatus Operator:
Pumper and Aerial; Hazardous Materials First Responder Awareness and
Operations; Fire Investigator; Fire Inspector I and II. In addition, Bobby
is a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic, an American
Heart Association CPR instructor, and a Fire Department Safety Officer. He
enjoys the fire service and the many opportunities it offers.
Terry Buchanan –
Terry has been with the Florence Fire Department for 17 years, and has been
the Training Officer since 1989. He received his B.S. degree from the
University of North Alabama in 1995, and his Associate degree from New
Mexico Military Institute in 1972. Terry is a certified Fire Fighter I & II,
Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, II, & III, Hazardous Materials Technician
& Specialist, and Apparatus Operator: Aerial & Pumper. In addition,
Terry is recognized as an “Outstanding Young Men of America”.
Michael L. Howell –
Chief Howell has been with the fire service for more than 30 years and
currently serves as Deputy Fire Chief for Pelham Fire Department. Chief
Howell holds an Associates Degree from the Southern Technical Institute in
Marietta, Georgia. He is a certified Fire Fighter I & II, Fire Instructor I,
II, & III, Fire Officer I, II, & III, Apparatus Operator: Pumper, Hazardous
Materials Awareness & Operational, and Hazardous Materials Incident
Commander. He served in the United States Air Force from 1967 to 1972 as a
Fire Protection Specialist, serving one year in the Republic of
Vietnam.
K.O. Jones –
Lieutenant Jones has been with the Montgomery Fire Department for 12 years,
serving in the Training Division for the past three years. He is a certified
Fire Fighter I & II, Fire Instructor I & II, Fire Officer I, and Apparatus
Operator: Pumper and Aerial. He is the Minister of Music at Freewill
Missionary Baptist Church.
Matthew S.
Jordan - Lanett Fire and EMS
Lee Lamar –
Having worked with the City of Auburn since 1980, Lee Lamar currently serves
as the Deputy Chief of Operations at Auburn Fire Division. Formally, he held
the position of Chief of Training for the division. Deputy Chief Lamar has
an Associate degree in Applied Science from Chattahoochee Valley Community
College and is a senior in Management at Troy University. Chief Lamar is
also working toward an Executive Fire Officer designation from the National
Fire Academy. His certifications from the Alabama Fire College include Fire
Officer I–IV, Instructor I–III, and Hazardous Materials Technician. For the
past six years, he has taught both field and resident courses as well as
contributed to curriculum development for the Alabama Fire College.
Timothy J. Love –
Tim Love has been a fire fighter for more than 19 years, serving with the
Concord Fire District as Fire Chief from 1995-2000, and the Birmingham Fire
and Rescue Services Department, where he serves as Captain. Tim holds a
Bachelor of Science in Public Safety from Athens State College, where he
graduated Cum Laude. He is a certified Fire Fighter I & II, Fire Instructor
I & II, Fire Officer I &II, Apparatus Operator: Aerial, Hazardous Materials
Technician, and EMT-Paramedic. He serves as the lead instructor for Fire
Fighter II, Fire Officer I & II, Instructor I, and Apparatus Operator.
Neal Marberry
- Neal currently
serves as the Assistant Fire Chief for the East Alabama Fire District. He
has an Associate of Applied Science degree in Fire Science from West Georgia
Technical College and is a student in the National Fire Academy Executive
Fire Officer Program. He holds the following certifications through the
Alabama Fire College: Firefighter I and II; Apparatus Operator: Pumper; Fire
Officer I, II, III, and IV; and Fire Instructor I and II. He is also an EMT-Paramedic
and has training as a Hazardous Materials Technician and a Confined
Space/High Angle Rescue Technician.
Derrick Swanson –
began his fire
service career in 1985 with the Tuskegee Fire Department and currently
serves as that department’s Fire Chief.
Chief
Swanson holds the following certifications from the Alabama Fire College:
Fire Fighter I and II; Airport Fire Fighter; Fire Instructor I, II, and III;
EMS Instructor; Fire Officer I, II, III, and IV; Fire Inspector I, II, and
III; Fire Department Safety Officer: Incident; Fire Department Safety
Officer: Health; Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I and II; Fire
Investigator; Apparatus Operator: Pumper; Apparatus Operator: Aerial;
Hazardous Materials First Responder; Hazardous Materials Technician; Rescue
Technician: Confined Spaces; Rescue Technician: Trench Rescue; and Rescue
Technician: Rope Rescue.
In
addition to his certifications, Chief Swanson has attended several NFA and
other courses offered by the Alabama Fire College that include Leadership I,
II, III; Structural Collapse Awareness; and SCBA Specialist. Chief Swanson
has an Associate of Applied Science degree in Fire Science from
Chattahoochee Valley State Community College in Phenix City, AL, where he
was an instructor for one year; an Associate of Applied Science degree in
Emergency Medical Services–Paramedic from Southern Union State Community
College (SUSCC) in Opelika, AL, where he instructed EMS for four years; and
a Bachelor of Science degree in Management of Human Resources from Faulkner
University.
He received his Master of Science degree in Management from Faulkner
University in August 2007.
Chief Swanson
currently sits on the Advisory Committee for EMS at Southern Union State
Community College.
Chief
Swanson brings discipline, motivation, knowledge, leadership, and
instructional know-how to the table. His motto is “You must believe to
achieve, and when you believe you will succeed!”
Chris Ward
- Chris has been a fire fighter for 20 plus years, first as a member with
Union Grove Fire Department, then with Pelham Fire Department where he
presently serves as a Captain. He received his Associates in Fire Science
from George C. Wallace in Selma and his BS in Public Safety Admin from
Athens State University. He currently holds certifications as a Fire Fighter
II, Fire Instructor III, Fire Officer IV, Fire Inspector II, Hazardous
Materials Technician, Fire Investigator, Safety Officer, Apparatus Operator
Aerial, and is a certified smoke diver from Florida State Fire College.
Chris has also attended numerous courses from the National Fire Academy in
Command and Control and Leadership.
George White –
George has been with the Tuscaloosa Fire Department for 16 years, and
currently serves as the Lieutenant over the Training Division. He holds the
following certifications from the Alabama Fire College: Fire Fighter I & II,
Fire Officer I, II, & III, Fire Instructor I, II, & III, Apparatus Operator:
Pumper and Aerial, and Hazardous Materials Technician. In addition he is
also an Instructor NEC 9502 with the U.S. Navy. |
