Candidates for WSFCA Board of Directors

The following candidates will be running for open positions on the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs' Association Board of Directors:

2nd Vice President (2011-2012 - one year term)

• Chief Paul Nelson, North Fond du Lac Fire and EMS
• Chief Matt Davies, Volk Field CRTC

Sergeant at Arms (2011-2014 - three year term)

• Chief Tim Kluck, Village of Plover Fire Dept.

Trustee (2011-2015 - four year term)

• Chief Keith Kesler, Brule Fire Dept.

Name: Paul Nelson

Elected Position Sought: 2nd Vice President

Reason for Seeking the Position: I am currently the 3rd year Trustee. With the opening coming up with the 2nd VP position, I am confident that my experience as a trustee and chair of the WSFCA Safety Section will help me in the new office. I am committed to helping make the fire service of Wisconsin the best it can be and by ensuring all levels of service (volunteer, combination, career) have a voice in the WSFCA.

Brief History in the Fire Service:

• Current position: Fire Chief
• Department: North Fond du Lac Fire and EMS
• Department type (Volunteer, Combination/Fully paid): Combination
• Other relevant fire service information: Executive Fire Officer Program, anticipated completion in August 2011. Everyone Goes Home Advocate.

Name: Matt Davies

Elected Position Sought: 2nd Vice President

Reason for Seeking the Position: To be more involved with the fire service statewid

Brief History in the Fire Service:

• Current position: Fire Chief
• Department: Volk Field CRTC
• Department type: Career – Military/ State Employee combination
• Other relevant fire service information:
  • I’ve been involved in the fire service in the state of WI my entire life. My father was a Fire Chief of the Wild Rose Fire Dept., a 30 person paid on call department, so I literally grew up in that station. Once I was old enough to join I worked my way through the ranks of that department to the Chief position.
    
    On my return from Active Duty Air Force in 1991 I joined the 115th Fight Wing Fire Department based at Truax Field, Madison. Over the 15 years I was with that military fire department I held every position from line fire fighter to Deputy Chief of Operations.
    
    I have been a career fire fighter since 1994 when I was hired at Volk Field. Volk Field is designed as a military training base so I have had the opportunity to work with fire fighters from all over the country while they are here training. In 2006 I became the Fire Chief and since then I have been concentrating on trying to make more training available for all fire departments – not just military.
    
    I am currently on the Board of Directors of the Air National Guard Fire Chief’s Association and am the Zone Chief for the 9 ANG Fire Departments in WI, MN, and Ohio. In this role I am the conduit between those departments and the National Guard Bureau on a wide variety of communications.
    
    I have been involved in the Wisconsin version of a Fire Academy, recently named the Wisconsin Emergency Services Academy (WESA), since soon after its inception and am currently the Co-Chair of that committee. We are in the process of defining training and educational programs that we hope will be beneficial for all emergency responders in the state of WI. We have held several weekend training opportunities and are planning on more. In a partnership consisting of the WESA Committee, The Tech Schools, and the University of Oshkosh we are also developing a continuing educational track using the NFA’s EFO program as the benchmark.

Name: Tim Kluck

Elected Position Sought: Sergeant of Arms/IAFC-GLD Representative

Reason for Seeking the Position: I look forward to continuing to serve the members of the WSFCA in my current position as Sergeant of Arms, WSFCA Board Member for another three-year term. I feel I bring a unique perspective to the WSFCA board based upon my prior 32 years of work experience (i.e. career, paid-on-call, volunteer) in all three types of departments. I have a strong desire to continue representing the members of the WSFCA during these difficult economic times, providing the strong leadership, vision and listening skills that will truly benefit all of our members. It is my sincere desire to continue representing each WSFCA member as their state representative to the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) - Great Lakes Division (GLD). I’m proud to have served in this role for the past three-years and I strongly hope that I have provided the professional link between the WSFCA and the IAFC-GLD that our members desire and expect.

Brief History in the Fire Service:

• Current position: Fire Chief
• Department: Village of Plover Fire/EMS
• Department type: Combination/Paid-On-Call
• Other relevant fire service information:
  • 32 Years in Fire Service
  • 1984 – Received Associate Degree Fire Science
  • 1997 - Graduate Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) National Fire Academy
  • 1979/1984 – Town of Hull Volunteer Firefighter
  • 1984/1996 – City of Marshfield Firefighter/EMT, Deputy Fire Chief
  • 1996/2004 – City of Antigo Fire Chief
  • 2004/2011 – Village of Plover Fire Chief
  • 1996/2011 – 15 Year Member WSFCA

Name: Keith Kesler

Elected Position Sought: Trustee

Reason for Seeking the Position: I have enjoyed the benefits of being a member of the association for over 25 year and done little more than paid my dues. When asked by association officers if I had an interest in serving I felt it was my duty to put something back in payment for all I have received from the work of others. Being from the extreme northern part of the state it is also my hope to bring the small rural department perspective to the board and the state agencies we interact with.

Brief History in the Fire Service:

• Current position: Chief
• Department: Brule Fire Department
• Department Type: Volunteer
• Other relevant fire service information:  I have been chasing fire trucks for over 40 years, 34 as Chief of the Brule Fire Department. I have been involved with the Department of Natural Resources in the development of structural protection during wild land fires and served on their overhead team for many years as a structural officer. I was one of the group of chiefs appointed to work with Wisconsin Emergency Management to develop and organize the hazardous materials teams in the early 90s and currently hold the position of Team Leader for HAZMAT Outreach Team stationed in Brule working in conjunction with the Superior Regional Hazardous Response Team. I served on one of the Department of Commerce 2% review committees and was on the original committee the Office of Justice Assistance established to develop the Regional Collapse Teams and Regional Law Enforcement Response teams. I was selected to serve on the Legislative Council that rewrote the Emergency Management Statutes and I have been an officer in the Vacationland Fire and Emergency Association for 35 years. I chair the Northwest Regional Interoperability Council and am employed by Douglas County, currently holding the position of Director of Emergency Management, Communications, and General Services.