Sgt. Paul Zipper, Ph.D.
Sergeant Zipper has been with the Massachusetts State Police for 20 years, most of which has been spent with the Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit operating out of the State Fire Marshal’s Office. He has conducted hundreds of fire investigations over the years, in the process gaining expertise in witness and suspect interviewing as well as interrogation techniques. His work with the Lawrence Arson Task Force, which began in 1992 brought him national and international attention. He has lectured in Australia and the United Kingdom as well as teaching the arson investigation class at the FBI National Academy. As the liason for the Fire Investigation Unit with the Mass State Coalition for Juvenile Firesetter Programs, Trooper Zipper has helped draft program standards and guidelines for screening interviews and referral procedures, and has worked to formalize the interface between law enforcement and the multi-disciplinary intervention programs. He is a contributing author in Firesetting in Children and Youth: A Multi-Disciplinary Practical Handbook and co-authored "Children and Arson: The Importance of Early Intervention in Juvenile Firesetting."
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Rob Stadolnik, Ed.D.
Dr. Robert Stadolnik is a licensed psychologist, President of FirePsych, Inc., and the author of the book Drawn to the Flame: Assessment and Treatment of Juvenile Firesetting. Dr. Stadolnik partnered with Brandon Residential Treatment Center in 2005 to pilot a comprehensive, evidence-based firesetting assessment protocol for short-term residential placements. He has recently completed research studies on specialized firesetting populations including adolescents in residential care and adolescent females. Dr. Stadolnik consults to fire safety programs, residential treatment centers, public school systems, and state child welfare agencies. Over the past fifteen years he has completed or supervised over 1000 firesetting behavior assessments and has provided trainings and workshops on a national level.
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Tim Vandenbrink
Tim Vandenbrink is in his 31st year with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services where he is the Assistant Fire Marshal in Fire Prevention. Tim has been actively involved in a number of safety organizations, such as The Alberta and Edmonton Safety Councils and the Edmonton Safety City Education Society. Tim is also a past Board member of the Education Section of NFPA. Tim’s anecdotes and humorous approach to a “sometimes boring” subject have kept him in demand as a regular speaker at Safety, Fire Service, Injury Prevention and Educational Conferences across Canada and the United States.
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Don Porth
Don Porth is a member of Portland Oregon Fire & Rescue. He Joined the fire service in 1980 as a volunteer and was then hired by Salem OR Fire Department before transferring to Portland. He is currently a youth firesetting interventions specialist and has worked directly with child firesetting behaviors since 1988. His implementation of the youth firesetting information database has made Portland's program one of the most noted in the nation. Don is a member of the National Fire Protection Association as a steering committee member for addressing the national youth firesetting problem, and past Chair of Oregon Council Againt Arson. Don holds a BS in Fire Command Administration from City University. Don represents "SOS FIRES: Youth Intervention Programs." SOS FIRES is a non-profit advocacy organization for the issue of youth firesetting intervention. SOS FIRES provides training, conducts research and facilitates communication on the issue of youth firesetting behaviors. Founded in 1996, SOS FIRES strives to serve the national needs surrounding youth firesetting behaviors and intervention programs.
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More Bios Coming Soon
