Founding Member

Having joined the fire service in 1993, Ed Griffin retired from the Orlando Fire Department in 2019 as a district chief. During his tenure, Ed actively served in various roles and embraced ancillary duties including those related to operations, health and safety, public education, and honor guard. Personally, rewarding were his contributions to training and development initiatives as a training division adjunct instructor, field training officer, peer fitness trainer, and mentor. 

Following retirement from OFD, Ed and his family moved home to New Orleans, LA where Ed accepted employment in industrial fire protection and emergency management. Ever committed to public service, he is also an active volunteer at a local combination fire department where he spearheads the agency’s training program. 

In addition to his dedication to the fire service, Ed is a senior non-commissioned officer and proud of his 37+ year military career to which he attributes much of his  

 Lindsay Judah, DPA, is a Fire & Emergency Services consultant. She serves as a Division Chief, is a graduate professor, an Everyone Goes Home® and NFR for Cancer advocate, peer reviewer for CPSE, IFSTA validation committee member for Hazardous Materials for First Responders 7th ed. and previously Chief Officer 5th ed. As well as a member of the FCCMA, FDSOA, FFCA, IAFC-SHS, and I-CAPP. She is a NASM-CPT, and trained in Peer Support (IAFF, Illinois, and UCF).

 @ChiefJudah 

 Aaron Heller began his fire service career in 1984. He recently retired as a Deputy Chief in the Hamilton NJ Fire Department assigned to oversee the Training Division. He previously served as the Fire Chief for the Hamilton Township Fire District #9. Deputy Chief Heller is a NJ Level 2 instructor and NJ fire official. He is a past chief of the New Egypt Volunteer Fire Company and past chairman of the Plumsted Township Board of Fire Commissioners. Heller is a senior instructor with the Mercer County Fire Academy. He instructs and has been a presenter at several national, regional, and local training events throughout the United States and abroad. He has been published in Fire Engineering Magazine, Fire & Rescue Magazine, The Fire Department Training Network, and several local publications. He is a former co-host of Fire Engineering’s Humpday Hangout on Training. Aaron is a founding member of the Jersey F.O.O.L.S chapter of the Fraternal Order of Leatherhead Society. Heller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science from Columbia Southern University. He is the owner of On Scene Training Associates, LLC.   

 James K. Crawford is the Assistant Fire Chief of Operations for Midway Fire Rescue in Pawleys Island, SC. He retired as the Assistant Fire Chief of Operations with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire in 2010 after 20 years of service. He is also the retired Deputy Fire Chief of Operations for the 171st Air Refueling Wing Fire Department, PA Air National Guard after 23 years of military service. Chief Crawford has trained firefighters extensively across the United States in firefighter rescue operations and has been involved in two LODD fires. He has completed 49 years in the fire service.  

Walter Lewis has been a firefighter since 1990, currently at the rank of Assistant Chief for the Orlando Fire Department. He began his time as a volunteer, then later as a paid firefighter in a bedroom community fire department. In 1996, he joined the Orlando Fire Department and has served on some of the busiest units and within special operations. He is a continual student of the fire service, is a charter member of the Orlando Fire Conference and a member of the FOOLS. He has contributed to works such as the State of Florida Live Fire Training Instructor curriculum after he was part of the RIT team during a live fire training event that resulted in two personnel being killed. 

Seth Major is a Lieutenant and 18-year veteran with West Metro Fire Rescue in Colorado. He started his fire service career in 2007.  As the lead RIT instructor for his department, Seth is passionate about firefighter safety and rescue. He also teaches nationally as an instructor with groups Making the Grab and Proactive Rescue Operations. In his spare time, Seth co-founded True Grit Training and serves as President of the 5280 FOOLS.