Marc Davidson

About Marc Davidson

As the retired Deputy Safety Programs Manager my mission was to make the most of the resources of Fairfax County and support our Safety Officers administratively and programmatically. Protecting the over 1900 that protect the 1 million covering over 400 square miles is an operational challenge that takes a broad-based approach, not only by providing the independent, unbiased and experienced set of eyes on the incident scene, but with creation of programs that reach into every corner of what we do. From Training to Operations and everything in between, the bottom line is the bottom line, take care of the members so they can take care of those we are sworn to protect. With over 40 years of experience in time compressed, dynamic environments the goal was to build the concept of \"functional safety\". This was not just about having a Safety Officer telling someone to do the smart/right/safe thing, but to engage our members on the street and in the classroom, teach/coach/mentor them into making the smart/right/safe decision in the first place. As I move forward I still strongly believe in the critical role of effective training for our small unit leaders, the Company Officers. Company Officers represent the most crucial link in the fire service, with the direct role that leads, supervises and manages what happens on the street. Without a strong, vital officer corps, strategic leaders have no chance for success in promoting and implementing their vision and ensuring the community receives the service they deserve.Aside from helping train the members of my department, I’ve been fortunate to present and teach on both tactical and leadership topics both regionally and nationally. The experiences I share are the culmination of my public service (including over 8 years in the Marine Corps) and represent the practical (not theoretical) application and study of leadership, particularly at the direct leadership level. I’ve been fortunate to have presented at FDIC, FRI, Firehouse Expo and World, as well as many regional and local conferences and individual organizations. I am part of the team that is rewriting the curricula for two NFA classes (Health & Safety Program Manager and Safety Program Operations), a Principal Member of the NFPA 1020 Technical Committee, a writer for both the IFSTA Company Officer and JBL Essentials textbooks, and author of several articles for national publications.At the end of the day, it will always boil down to a simple truism, effective training dictates effective outcomes.

Experience

1. Everyone Goes Home Virginia State Co-lead Advocate

   National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Nfff

   Nov 2018 — Present · Fairfax County, VA, US

   Everyone Goes Home (EGH) State Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in Virginia. Also an Adjunct Instructor for the Attributes of Leadership class. A key part of the mission is not only to honor the fallen and take care of the families in their worst hour, but to help prevent the LODD/LODI from occuring. By teaching how to be an effective fire service leader, advocate for culture change and prevent the preventable, the is helping our fire service grow and truly be the best that our communities can rely in their time of need.

Education

• Columbia Southern University

  Associate's Degree (in progress), Occupational Safety & Health

• State College Area High School

  High School

  1980 — 1983

• USMC

  DD214, Worldwide Travels

  1985 — 1993