Speaker Biographies
2016 A. Michael Mullane Health and Safety Symposium
Thursday, May 19 – Friday, May 20, 2016
The Boston Fire Department and Boston Firefighters Local 718
Florian Hall
55 Hallet Street, Boston, Massachusetts
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Roger Barker, Ph.D
Professor and Director
NC State Center for Research on Textile Protection and Comfort (TPACC)
Dr. Roger Barker is the Burlington Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Research on
Textile Protection and Comfort (T-PACC) at North Carolina State University. He is internationally
recognized for his work in the field of protective materials and clothing and test systems for evaluating
the performance of firefighter PPE. Dr. Barker is an active member of NFPA Committees that are
developing test methods and consensus performance standards for protective gear used by the Nation's
fire fighting community. He is a member of the NFPA Technical Correlating Committee, a body which
has oversight for PPE standards relied upon by emergency responders ranging from firefighters to
HAZMAT and EMT personnel. Dr. Barker was recipient of the 2015 Holladay Medal of Excellence,
the highest award given to a faculty member at NC State University.
Kenny Fent, PhD, CIH
Research Industrial Hygienist
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Kenny Fent obtained his MS and PhD in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Fent joined NIOSH in 2008, where he currently works as a
research industrial hygienist in Cincinnati, Ohio. Much of his work has been focused on characterizing
multi-chemical/multi-route exposures in various industries. His recent study in firefighters
demonstrated that dermal exposure to PAHs occurred primarily on the neck due to the lower dermal
exposure protection afforded by fire hoods and biological uptake of benzene and other aromatic
hydrocarbons occurred despite the use of full protective ensembles. His study also characterized the
potential inhalation exposure route from off-gassing gear. In addition to his research, Dr. Fent is an
emergency responder for the CDC and U.S. Public Health Service and has responded to events
domestically and abroad, including most recently for Ebola in West Africa.
Joseph E. Finn
Boston Fire Commissioner and Chief of Department
Boston Fire Department
Joseph E. Finn has been a member of the Boston Fire Department since October of 1984 and has risen
through the ranks of the department. From 2005 to 2014, as a Deputy Chief, Finn served as a Division
Commander, in charge of all fire ground operations, hazardous materials, technical rescue responses
and administrative functions for half of the city.
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh appointed Joseph E. Finn as Fire Commissioner and Chief of
Department on July 6, 2014.
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In his 31 years with the Boston Fire Department, Commissioner/Chief Finn made significant
contributions to the department, including establishing an EMT training program that increased the
number of EMTs on the Boston Fire Department by 50 percent. He has worked on numerous planning
committees for high profile events for the department, including the 2004 Democratic National
Convention.
Commissioner/Chief Finn also served in the United States Marine Corps from 1979 to 1982. He earned
a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University in 2008,
graduating magna cum laude. Commissioner/Chief Finn has also finished 15 Boston Marathons, most
recently in 2015.
Bryan Frieders
President
FireFighter Cancer Support Network
Bryan Frieders is a Division Chief with the San Gabriel (CA) Fire Department. He has over 23 years of
experience in both Fire and EMS working in a variety of assignments including Training, EMS, and
most recently Emergency Management. Chief Frieders is also the Director of Communications for the
Firefighter Cancer Support Network, and is the liaison to the Safety Health and Survival Section of the
IAFC.
Michael G. Hamrock, MD
Primary Care and Addiction Medicine Physician
St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
Dr. Michael Hamrock practices internal medicine and addiction medicine at St. Elizabeth’s Medical
Center and is the primary care physician for many Boston firefighters and police officers. In his twenty
years of service with the Boston Fire Department, first as a firefighter, and later as the department
physician, he developed a unique perspective and understanding of the many immediate and long-term
serious health risks associated with firefighting.
Dr. Hamrock is on the Board of Advisors of the Last Call Foundation where he continues to motivate
and empower Boston firefighters to better prepare themselves for the tremendous physical, chemical,
and mental stresses of their occupation. He is working closely with the Firefighter Cancer Support
Network to establish guidelines for primary care physicians for Comprehensive Firefighter Physical
Exams that target heart disease and cancer screenings and prevention. Dr. Hamrock runs marathons
with the Boston Fire running team and is a member of the Boston Fire/Metro Fire Critical Incident
Stress Management Team.
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Lieutenant Patrick Hayes
Employee Assistance Coordinator
Boston Fire Department
Lt. Patrick Hayes is a Veteran of the U.S. Army and served 8 years from 1988-1996. He joined the
Boston Fire Department in Aug 2001 and earned his Bachelor’s Degree from UMASS Boston in 2004.
Hayes was promoted to Lieutenant January 2012 and became the EAP/Peer Support Coordinator that
same month. Lt. Hayes also holds many certifications and licenses, including being a Certified
Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP #0043110), Qualified Substance Abuse Professional (QSAP
#20560), Certified Addiction Specialist (CAS #C-4538), and is also a licensed Alcohol and Drug
Counselor (LADC II #2199.
Gavin Horn, PhD
Research Program Director
Illinois Fire Service Institute
Gavin Horn has served as the IFSI Director of Research since August 2004, immediately after receiving
his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Horn's
research interests lie in the areas of First Responder technology development, firefighter health and
safety research, material testing and design, infrared imaging and nondestructive evaluation. He holds a
Senior Research Scientist position with the Advanced Materials Testing & Evaluation Laboratory at
Illinois. Gavin has published over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and given more than 60
presentations at professional conferences around the world. He is a member of NFPA’s Technical
Committee on Special Operations Clothing & Equipment, Chair of the Society of Fire Protection
Engineers Fire Service Committee and a member of the Advisory Board for UL’s Firefighter Safety
Research Institute.
Stefanos Kales, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard School of Medicine
Dr. Kales is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Associate Professor
and Director of the Occupational Medicine Residency at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).
Dr. Kales is also the Chief of Occupational & Environmental Medicine and Medical Director for
Employee Health & Industrial Medicine at the Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard-affiliated hospital
system. He has participated in a wide range of research, advisory and teaching activities on five
continents resulting in over 125 publications and wide recognition nationally and internationally. He
serves on the editorial boards of several biomedical journals and participates in Harvard’s
Cardiovascular Epidemiology Program.
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His primary research involves firefighters’ health, and he is an international clinical authority regarding
cardiovascular disease among public safety personnel. His service research has received
Massachusetts, Federal (NIOSH and FEMA R&D grants) and Canadian funding. Dr. Kales’ work has
been most influential in determining the causal relationship of heart disease among firefighters and law
enforcement officers to their job activities and other factors. His group has provided seminal
contributions in the clinical epidemiology of cardiovascular events in firefighters; including the first
definitive statistical association of strenuous job tasks and on-duty cardiovascular deaths, which was
subsequently confirmed in a later New England Journal of Medicine publication. An analogous paper
examining sudden cardiac death in US police in the British Medical Journal has now established similar
strong associations with strenuous law enforcement duties.
Dr. Kales has also influenced national thinking among occupational physicians regarding firefighter’s
fitness for duty, the need for improved wellness programs, better control of risk factors, and whether
firefighters can safely return to work in the presence of significant coronary heart disease. He was a
plenary speaker at the National Fallen Firefighters’ Foundation 2011 summit on these issues. For his
significant contributions to academic excellence, Dr. Kales was selected as the 2013 winner of the
Kehoe Award for Excellence in Education and Research from the American College of Occupational &
Environmental Medicine, and the 2014 Harriet Hardy award from the New England College of
Occupational & Environmental Medicine, both lifetime achievement awards for outstanding
contributions to the field.
Adam La Reau
Co‐Founder
O2X
O2X is a company that trains and educates individuals and corporations on Maximizing Human
Performance. At O2X, Adam focuses on operations, sponsorships, and business development. Prior to
O2X, Adam was a former Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy who began his military
career at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. After graduating and earning his commission in
2002, he spent 11 years as a Navy SEAL, completing numerous combat deployments around the globe.
He spent his career at Navy SEAL Team Four, Eight and Naval Special Warfare Development Group.
Having left active duty in August 2013, Adam attended the Harvard Kennedy School of Government
and received a Master of Public Administration. Following his passions, he founded a non--‐profit
called ‘One Summit’ that builds resilience in children with cancer through mentorship and experiential
learning. Adam’s excitement comes from pushing people beyond their limits to see them maximize
their potential.
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Frank Leto
Director
FDNY Counseling Services Unit
Captain Frank Leto is a 28-year veteran of the FDNY who currently serves as the Deputy Director of
the New York City Fire Department’s Counseling Service Unit (FDNY CSU). He is responsible for the
overall management and administration of the CSU and also directs the Peer Outreach Program, the 24hour crisis hotline and mental health education for uniform members. His association with the CSU
began over 15 years ago as a Crisis Counselor for traumatic events such as line-of-duty deaths and
mass casualty events.
On September 11, 2001, Captain Leto was an officer in charge of a search and rescue team at the World
Trade Center site. Since then, he has continued to develop innovative outreach and education programs
for fire fighters and their families who have experienced emotional trauma. He has brought his
expertise to numerous areas outside of New York, such as Northern Ireland, the Gulf Region posthurricanes, and most recently Charleston, South Carolina.
John Martell
President
Professional Fire Fighters of Maine
John Martell has been career Firefighter/Paramedic for the past 24 years. He started his career with the
Saco, Maine Fire Department in 1991. In 1993 he joined the Portland, Maine Fire Department where he
continues to be currently employed. Firefighter Martell is a United States Air Force Veteran serving on
active duty from 1969-1972. Receiving an Honorable Discharge he then attended Michigan State
University and Rochester Institute of Technology. Over the course of his fire service career Firefighter
Martell was assigned tours on Engine Companies, Ladder Companies and the Fire Boat as
Pilot/Engineer. He is currently assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau. He has received citations from
Portland Fire Department for Community Service, Espirit De Corps, Fire fighter of the Year, Unit
Citation and Kevin Malone Class B Merit Award for meritorious action.
Active in union business his entire career serving on the Executive Board, Public Relations and
Legislative Committee of Portland Local 740. Firefighter Martell began working with the Professional
Fire Fighters of Maine state organization in 2004 helping coordinate the defeat of a tax cap referendum
that threatened to eliminate 400 firefighter positions across Maine. He continued to stay involved with
the PFFM and was elected 2nd District Vice President in 2006. In 2008 was elected President of the
PFFM. During this tenure the PFFM was able to pass state legislation that provides health care for
retired firefighters, bans the use of the flame retardant DECA, which is a known carcinogen. Enacted a
Line of Duty death benefit in the Maine State Retirement system for the beneficiaries of firefighters and
a rebuttable presumption Worker Compensation law to protect those members who contract cancer. He
currently serves as Service Representative for the International Association of Fire Fighters. Served on
the IAFF Rules of Order Committee, Election Committee and a current representative for the IAFF on
the NFPA Regional Fire Code Development Committee and the Flame Testing Technical Committee.
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Paul McCullough
Co-Founder
O2X
As a founder of O2X, Paul covers business development and operations for all O2X offerings. Prior to
O2X, Paul served in the U.S Navy from 2001 through 2012. As an active duty Navy SEAL, he
completed numerous combat deployments and contingency operations around the globe in support of
OEF/OIF. His primary duty stations were SEAL Team Eight and Naval Special Warfare Development
Group.
Paul left the Navy as a Chief Petty Officer and soon after was hired within Institutional Sales at Eaton
Vance Investment Managers in Boston, MA. Paul left Eaton Vance in 2014 to help turn the O2X
concept into a World Class Leader in Human Performance.
Lieutenant William J. Ostiguy
EAP/Stress Coordinator
Boston Fire Department
Lt. William J. Ostiguy was appointed to the Boston Fire Department October 20th, 1971. W.J.O.
developed the Boston Fire Department – Local #718, Employee Assistance Program in March of 1983
and was promoted to the position of Lieutenant in February of 1988. Lt. William J. Ostiguy holds
credentials as a Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor-1 (LADC-1),Certified Alcohol & Drug Addiction
Counselor, (CADAC) Certified Addiction Specialist, (CAS) Certified Employee Assistance
Professional, (CEAP) Certified Clinical Supervisor, (CCS)Certified CISM team member for
BFD/Local 718,Emergency Medical Technician(EMT) Board Registered Interventionist – II and was
appointed to International Association of Fire Fighters, (IAFF) Committee on Labor/Employee
Assistance Programs in 1991. He is also a coordinator of the Boston Fire Department (Local #718)
Employee Assistance Program.
Sharyle Patton
Director, Biomonitoring Resource Center
Commonweal
Sharyle is director of the Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center, where she has been employed
for 20 years. Her program, working with such entities as Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, the
Environmental Working Group, California Department of Public Environmental Health Investigations
Branch, International Association of Fire Fighters, and the NGO network, Coming Clean Collaborative,
has pioneered the implementation of biomonitoring projects initiated by community-based
organizations and the communication of the data from such projects to project participants. Sharyle has
been a member of the Experts Group of the California Environmental Health Tracking Program for the
past six years.
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Sharyle is special projects director for Commonweal’s Collaborative on Health and Environment, a
network of more than 3,000 health professionals, scientists, and representatives from health-affected
groups interested in exploring linkages between environment and health outcomes. Her arena of interest
has been to create pathways of communication among community groups and government agencies, to
develop effective strategies for policy formulation and reform, and to promote community-based
participatory research and the integration of such research into policy discussions at all levels.
Sharyle was northern co-chair from 1998 to 2001 for the International POPs Elimination Network,
which worked closely with governments to formulate the Stockholm Convention, a legally binding
treaty that eliminates or severely restricts 12 of POPs chemicals. She was responsible for educating
community groups and United Nations government delegates about POPs chemicals and for
coordinating NGO participation in United Nations deliberations. Previously, Sharyle was director of the
United States Citizens Network for Sustainable Development and served as NGO liaison on United
States delegations to the United Nations Commission, and the United Nations Habitat Summit, and was
an NGO delegate to the United Nations women’s conferences, focusing on women’s sexual rights and
reproductive health.
Charles Popp
Boston CISM Coordinator
Boston Fire Department
Appointed to the Boston Fire Department in 1985, Lieutenant Charles Popp has been a member of the
Boston Fire-Metro Fire CISM Peer Support team since 1998 and provided CISM throughout the
Northeast. He currently serves as Coordinator of the team and Coordinator of the Massachusetts Peer
Support Network; which is comprised of the seventeen CISM teams providing effective critical
incident stress management and crisis intervention to first responders in the state of Massachusetts. A
nurse since 1986 he has completed the academic requirements as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug
Counselor and is pursuing a degree in Mental Health Counseling. An avid sailor Lieutenant Popp
recently transferred to the Boston Fire Dept. Marine Unit.
Denise Smith, PhD
Professor
Skidmore College
Professor Smith's primary area of research is cardiovascular health, with a specific focus on the
relationship between heat stress and cardiovascular function. A significant portion of her research
focuses on the cardiovascular strain associated with firefighting activity. She has published several
articles the effects of firefighting on cardiovascular function, coagulatory potential, immune function
and hormonal status and has lead several government-funded studies to investigate strategies to
minimize the physiological strain associated with firefighting. Professor Smith has also conducted
several laboratory studies designed to identify specific components of firefighting activity (work
performed, heat stress, sympathetic nervous stimulation) that are responsible for specific physiological
responses to the combined stress of firefighting.
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Dennis Teehan, MD
Medical Director
Boston Fire Department
After graduating Northeastern University, Dr. Teehan obtained his medical degree from Tufts
University. He then completed his internship in internal medicine at Saint Vincent Hospital. He
completed Harvard Affiliated Residency in preventive medicine and occupational and environmental
medicine and also obtained a master’s degree in public health from Harvard School of Public Health .
He currently is a part of Beth Israel Deaconess Physician Organization and hold privileges at Beth
Israel Deaconess, Cambridge Health Alliance and New England Baptist Hospital. Dr. Teehan is
devoted to ensuring the longevity of his patients’ health and developing long-lasting relationships with
them. He takes his time to understand symptoms and give correct diagnoses to ensure the continued
health of all his patients.
Dr. Teehan serves as a medical director of Boston Fire Department. He is Board Certified in preventive
medicine and occupational medicine by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Dr. Teehan also
practices urgent care in Dedham, Ma. Dr. Teehan enjoys giving back to his community and currently
serves on the Board of Selectman in Dedham, Ma. He is also on the Board of Directors at The Italian
Home for Children. In his spare time Dr. Teehan enjoys spending time with his wife Shannon who is a
cancer nurse at Dana Farber and his two dogs Aine and Samira. He is also a long time season ticket
holder of the New England Patriots and enjoys fitness.
Virginia Weaver, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
John’s Hopkins University
Dr. Virginia Weaver is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of
Public Health with a joint appointment in the School of Medicine. She received her medical degree
from New York University and her MPH from Johns Hopkins. She is dual-boarded in Internal
Medicine and Preventive Medicine (Occupational Medicine). She has been on the faculty at Johns
Hopkins since completing her occupational medicine residency and post-doctoral research fellowship
there in 1993. She directed the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency at Johns Hopkins
from 2006 until 2014. She has been a member of International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
Medical Advisory Board since 1995. She served as the medical preceptor for resident physicians
rotating at IAFF for over a decade. Dr. Weaver focuses on fire fighter cancer and workers’
compensation issues in her public health practice activities. Her research focuses on populations with
exposure to chemicals that damage the kidneys, including lead and cadmium. She has given numerous
national and international presentations on cancer in fire fighters and is an author on more than 80 peer
reviewed articles, chapters and abstracts.
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