Speaker Bio:

Brene Duggins is the Fire Prevention Coordinator/Training Captain at Holly 

Grove Fire Department in Lexington, NC. During her 20 years as a volunteer 

in the fire service, she has shared her passion for technology and 

education across not only the state of North Carolina but across the United 

States and into Canada teaching the public as well as Fire Service Personnel 

to enhance their own programs through the integration of technology. 

Most recently she has started Ms. D's Virtual PD, which is a virtual 

professional development training program that combines live training 

sessions and on-demand training opportunities for public school personnel 

and fire service personnel. Brene is the past Chair of the NC Eastern Region 

Fire and Life Safety Educators Association and also is the 2nd Vice-Chair of 

the North Carolina Fire and Life Safety Educator Association State Council. 

She is the 2022 NFPA Educator of Year. Her day job is as the Media 

Coordinator at Oak Grove High School in Davidson County, NC, and she is 

also a Past President of the North Carolina School Library Association.

Presenter Email: brene.duggins@hollygrovefire.org 

Sessions Presenting: 

Our Hybrid World: Stepping Up Your Virtual Fire and Life Safety Activities 

Spicing Up Your Fire Prevention Week Toolkit

Speaker Bio: 

James D. Jarvis serves as the Executive Director for the American Red Cross of the Cape Fear Area of North Carolina.  In this capacity, Jarvis oversees all Red Cross operations in 12 counties in eastern NC (Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, and Wayne).  Prior to joining the American Red Cross as a public affairs volunteer in February 2013 and as a full-time employee in July 2014, Jarvis served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps for nearly 23 years, retiring in February 2011 at the rank of major.  During his decorated military career, Jarvis served as an enlisted Marine and officer, while completing combat tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Liberia.  

For the American Red Cross, Jarvis served as the Disaster Program Specialist for the Cape Fear Chapter from July 2014 to January 2016 with territorial responsibility for all disaster response in Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, and Pender Counties.  As a Service to the Armed Forces Manager, Jarvis worked with committed staff and volunteers to fulfill the important mission of providing humanitarian support to service members, veterans and their families around the clock, around the globe, under the trusted symbol of the Red Cross.   In addition to the important work of building strong and resilient military families, Jarvis and his volunteers are also working hard to help end veteran homelessness and suicides.

Finally, as the Executive Director for the American Red Cross of the Cape Fear Area, Jarvis works with a dedicated cadre of volunteers who prevent and alleviate human suffering every day in eastern NC as well as a Board of Directors and numerous Advisory Boards committed to ensuring that the American Red Cross remains ready to assist people in need for decades to come.    

Jarvis is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma (BBA, Management Information Systems, Summa Cum Laude) and Webster University (MBA).  He and his wife, Heather, reside in Wilmington, NC and have a daughter, Hunter, and two sons, Chase and Dashiell.

Speaker Email: james.jarvis3@redcross.org 

Session Presenting: 

Smoke Alarm Panel

Speaker Bio: 

Jason has been in the fire service for 22 years.  Jason is currently working for the NC Department of Insurance – OSFM as the Community Risk Reduction Specialist for Region 3. In his spare time, he is the Safety Officer at Angier Black River Fire Department and the Emergency Servicer Officer with NC Civil Air Patrol.   He lives in Angier with his wife Gwen and there two boys William and Alex.  

Speaker Email: jason.nesbit@ncdoi.gov  

Session Presenting: 

Smoke Alarm Panel

Speaker Bio:

Kelly Ransdell is the Regional Education Specialist for the National Fire Protection Association covering the 17 states in the South Central region.  She works to expand fire and burn education and works with national organizations, state agencies, and local fire departments to enhance their educational programs. Before joining NFPA staff in 2015, she worked as the Deputy Director of the North Carolina Department of Insurance- Office of State Fire Marshal overseeing the Prevention, Programs and Grants Division for nearly 15 years.  In addition, she worked as the State Director of Safe Kids North Carolina which includes 42 coalitions covering 72 counties for 11 years.  Kelly and her husband live just south of Raleigh, NC and has two daughters. 

Speaker Email: kransdell@nfpa.org 

Session Presenting:

Fire in the US: America Burning after 49 years

Speaker Bio

Beverley Walker serves as the Director of the Fire and Emergency Services Administration degree program at East Georgia State College in Swainsboro, Georgia.  Beverley has 25 years of experience as a career firefighter and fire officer, serving in a variety of roles and responsibilities with a major focus in the area of community risk reduction.  Beverley has a Masters of Science degree in Public Administration, as well as a Masters of Education.   She is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy.  Beverley has been involved in instructional design and curriculum development for the Georgia Fire Academy and the National Fire Academy. She is a contract instructor for the National Fire Academy.  Beverley recently published a textbook entitled “Community Risk Reduction Principles and Practice”.  Beverley has been a technical writer for several training publications and is a contributing author to the textbook Firefighter Safety and Survival by Ford.  She recently served as the Validation Committee chairperson for the IFSTA Fire and Life Safety Educator 4th Edition manual.  

Speaker Email: firechick801@gmail.com   

Sessions Presenting: 

What's the Big Deal About Community Risk Reduction? 

Culture and CRR