Steve Fahey, BSc Hons, MD Simulation Alpine Tech
Steve has been involved in all facets of engineering over the past 38 years. He spent 12 years as a Project Manager on industrial projects for an international construction company, eight years as Operations Director of a steel fabrication business and the past 18 years as Managing Director of Simulation.
In 1999, Simulation supplied its first aircraft simulator to Birmingham International Airport, and this was closely followed by a project for the Ministry of Defence Fire Service Central Training Establishment at Manston. Simulation has now successfully completed over 45 aircraft simulator projects. In August 2015, Simulation became part of the Industrial Group, Montana AG based in Austria. Steve is now a Director of AMT UK (a division of Montana AG) with a responsibility for the global business development of the ‘Simulation’ brand.

 

 

 

Neil Gray, Aerodrome Inspector, CAA

Neil Gray is a Principal Aerodrome Inspector with the Civil Aviation Authority. He leads a small team of Inspectors whose role is to oversee the compliance and safety performance of UK aerodrome operators with International, European, and UK standards for emergency planning and RFFS. Neil’s fire service career began in 1986 and has seen him undertake a wide range of operational, training, and regulatory roles. He represents UK on International RFFS policy-making groups and has been participating as a seconded team member with the EASA standardisation audits.

 

 

 

 

Steve Owen-Hughes, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Surrey Fire & Rescue Service

Before joining in 2010, Steve was the Gold commander who led the multi-agency response to the 2014 flooding. He also led the Olympic Games response, and has been in charge of planning the safety and response at large events and commanded a significant number of major incidents in the south-east over the past five years.
In 2009, Steve served in Afghanistan in a  front-line duty role. Steve has significant experience in crisis command, both in operational and strategic roles as well as in advisory, training and regulatory roles. A graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he studied engineering science at London USB and leadership at Warwick University and holds various other qualifications. Steve founded the fire service charity ‘Operation Florian’ which helps refugees and returnees. 
Steve has been awarded an MBE, holds the Fire Service Cross, and has received seven other separate commendations. 
 

 

 

Bob Palestrant, Bob Palestrant, Fire Chief, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport

Bob Palestrant has four decades of public safety experience serving as a registered nurse, paramedic, firefighter and emergency manager. He currently serves as the Fire Chief at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
Fort Lauderdale Airport has experienced a commercial aircraft fire, a cargo aircraft crash, an active shooter incident, and two major hurricanes, all over a 26-month period. Bob is a Certified Emergency Manager through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), a Chief Fire Officer credentialled through the Center of Public Safety Excellence, a State of Florida Fire Service Instructor III, and the Southeast Florida Terrorism Liaison Officer Program Coordinator.

 

 

 

Kenny Pearce, Content Officer, National Operational Guidance Programme

Kenny is currently seconded to the National Operational Guidance Programme (NOGP) from Edinburgh Airport Fire and Rescue Service where he holds the position of Station Manager and has served 17 years.
Kenny’s responsibilities at Edinburgh include emergency planning, training and development (Incident Command, BA & FBT), operational policy and procedures and he is a National Inter-Agency Liaison Officer (NILO).
Kenny also holds the position of Watch Manager with Scottish Fire & Rescue Service starting his retained career with Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade in 1991. Within the National Operational Guidance Programme Kenny is responsible for the maintenance of content for existing guidance and content support for new guidance.

 

 

 

 

Bob Rearie, Group Manager seconded from the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service/Content Team Manager, National Operational Guidance Programme

 Bob Rearie joined Fife Fire & Rescue Service in 1990, where he served all functions including operations, fire safety and training delivery. Bob was seconded to the Fire Service College (FSC) in 2007, where he was part of the Incident Command team designing and delivering training based on the newly published Incident Command Manual (ICM) (2008). He designed the inaugural firefighter foundation programme which saw the college train new recruits for the first time.

 On his return to Scotland in 2011, Bob took up the post of Programme Manager at the Scottish Fire Services College, with responsibility for specialist training including incident command. He was lead officer for the credit rating of training products through the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. Bob has also served in a training role in all capacities including training manager within service. On the formation of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Bob moved over to the Response and Resilience Directorate, developing policy and procedures for the new service. Bob has been with the National Operational Guidance Programme since June 2016.

 

 

 

Jon Round, Head of Airspace, Air Traffic Management and Aerodromes, CAA

Jon started his career as a Royal Navy Seaking helicopter pilot. In the 1980’s, he transitioned into commercial aviation, fixed wing with Air Europe, Air 2000 and British Airways. At BA, Jon was Chief Pilot at Gatwick and went on to become General Manager for BA Flight Operations. Following an MBA at Cranfield, interim roles at EASA and IATA, Jon joined the CAA in 2012 as Oversight Programme Manager, a role which developed into Safety Programme Manager within the Performance-Based Regulation (PBR) programme.  Jon became Head of PBR in November 2015 and Head of Airspace, Air Traffic Management and Aerodromes in March 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Scoggins, Solicitor Advocate, Fisherscogginswaters

Solicitor Advocate. Represented Thames Trains at the public inquiry into the October 1999 collision near Ladbroke Grove. In 2003 handled the successful Old Bailey defence of Sir John Stevens and Lord Condon on all charges brought against them by the HSE arising out of roof falls suffered by patrolling officers. 

In 2005 helped Balfour Beatty win the acquittal of its rail division on all corporate manslaughter charges it faced over the Hatfield derailment. Represented the Metropolitan Police in the health and safety prosecution brought to trial in 2007 over the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell station. Visiting lecturer to the College of Policing.

 

 

 

 

Tim Sampey, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Fire Department

Tim Sampey is a 32-year veteran of the Chicago Fire Department. He is currently the District Chief of Airport Operations for the Chicago Fire Department’s District 3 which encompasses both O’Hare and Midway International Airports. Chief Sampey’s ARFF experience spans over 18 years in positions ranging from a Lieutenant and Captain (company officer), Training Instructor, Airport Training Coordinator, Safety Officer, Battalion Chief, Deputy District Chief to his current position. As Airport Training Coordinator, Chief Sampey was responsible for the development and administration of the ARFF Training Program which remains the template for certification for both the Chicago Fire Department as well as the Illinois State Fire Marshal. Chief Sampey holds numerous special operations certifications from the Chicago Fire Department, Illinois State Fire Marshal, The National Fire Academy and the NIMS Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He is a member of the National Fire Protection Agency and the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighters Working Group.

 

 

 

 

Neil Stocker, Director of Public Protection/Deputy Chief Fire Officer West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service

Neil has been employed by West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service for 27 years, starting as a firefighter.

and he is currently responsible for:

• Electronic Services Group - WSFRS

• Health and Safety - WSFRS

• Performance Improvement -WSFRS

• Resilience and Emergencies (WSCC business continuity)

• Strategic Risk Management - WSFRS

• The Sussex Control Centre -WSFRS

• Training & Development - WSFRS

• Trading Standards - WSCC

• Workforce Strategy and Recruitment -WSFRS

Neil was the strategic on-scene Fire Commander for the first three days of the Shoreham Air Crash.

 

 

 

Andy Woodward, National Coordinator, College of Policing
Andy is a serving officer with Gloucestershire Police and is on secondment to the College of Policing as the National DVI and Civil Contingencies Training Coordinator. He has 29 years’ experience serving, initially, on a traffic unit before supervising on the Specialist Operations Unit. He has managed multiple scenes and has been deployed in a wide range of DVI roles. His current role now involves him delivering specialist training and acting as an advisor at different levels of command. Andy lectures on the National Interagency Liaison Officers (NILO) course and has worked closely in developing new Joint working Principles with the National Fire Chiefs Council around Police DVI Operations.

 

 

 

 

 

Gavin Watts, Director of Operations/Chief Fire Officer, West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service 

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is a statutory function provided by the County Council and works at the heart of its Communities and Public Protection Directorate. This integrated working and close collaboration with other services mean Gavin, as Director of Operations, has broad responsibilities for planning and delivering the Council’s objectives in addition to his Chief Fire Officer role.
He began his fire service career as a firefighter in Surrey in 1989 and worked in a number of operational and training roles before joining West Sussex as Assistant Chief Fire Officer in November 2013. In that time he has led the Fire & Rescue Service response to the Shoreham Air Show tragedy and to the major fire at the Selsey Academy. He has also been a Director of Communities, leading teams delivering a wide range of community safety and prevention initiatives, and is currently Vice-Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council on road safety issues.

 

 

 

 

Graeme Day, Fire Service Regulation & Oversight Manager, Safety Improvement Team

Graeme Day joined Kent Fire & Rescue Service in 1979. After retiring from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service as an Area Manager, he joined BAA as its Fire Service Compliance Manager. Graeme is currently the Fire Service Regulation & Oversight Manager at Heathrow Airport supporting the Heathrow Airport Fire & Rescue Service and working as part of Heathrow Airport’s EASA Compliance Monitoring team. Building relationships with regulators such as the CAA, ICAO and EASA and other stakeholders such as the NFPA and NOGP Graeme ensures that changes to regulations and standards support the operational and business models of Heathrow Airport’s Fire & Rescue Service. Graeme has an MBA and is an ISO qualified auditor.

 

 

 

 

John Sulek, founder of the UK HRET User Group/ Manchester Airport Fire

John Sulek commenced his career with Greater Manchester Police Contingency Planning unit in 1985.
In 1989, John joined Manchester Airport Fire service, working through the ranks to his current position of acting Fire Service Operations Manager. He was the lead officer in the recent fire appliance fleet procurement process and instrumental in the introduction of the new Manchester Airport Fire Service Operating Model. John is a founder and lead member of the UK HRET User Group and has qualified as an HRET instructor at Dallas Fort Worth Fire Research Training Centre, Texas. He has been involved in the development and introduction of HRET instructor and operator courses, which have recently received approval for accreditation by SFJ Awards (formerly Skills for Justice).