Our Speakers
Meet our diverse team of speakers
Alisdair Couper
Alisdair Couper was born and brought up on the west coast of Scotland before becoming a Marine Engineer and working around the world. Arriving in West Yorkshire 27 years ago, Alisdair founded Terberg DTS UK Ltd, which has grown to be one of the UK's leading providers of specialist vehicles and equipment with over 250 staff.
Alisdair has throughout his adult career, been involved with both voluntary and full-time emergency services agencies and is passionate about the welfare of people carrying out their often at times, risky jobs. Alisdair sponsored fully the first cancer seminar and has also presented at the Chief Fire Officers conference in Ireland on the subject of the cancer risk.
Andy Slater
With nearly 20 years of experience in the life safety market on a global scale, Andy demonstrates a genuine passion for technology and firefighter safety, building his reputation on developing innovative products from specialist thermal imaging systems to specialist PPE. Committed to honesty and integrity, Andy takes pride in establishing a global reputation centred around these core principles.
The cornerstone of Andy's values lies in safety, education, and trust, prioritising these over profits. The current focus and priorities revolve around aiding the firefighting community in making informed decisions regarding critical PPE. He acknowledges the prevalence of deliberately misleading information in the market, ranging from certifications to performance claims, and strives to expose manufacturers who misinform customers about life-critical equipment.
Maintaining a strong commitment to the company one keeps, Andy emphasises the significance of reputation and ensures that all information provided is supported by the highest industry standards, validated by industry experts, and substantiated by test data. His personal mission is to raise awareness about these critical issues and actively engage in platforms such as seminars to empower individuals to make well-informed decisions that directly impact lives.
Prof Anna Stec
Anna Stec is Professor of Fire Chemistry and Toxicity at University of Central Lancashire. She has undertaken research into fires and fire effluents, including quantification of toxic hazards from fires, and understanding the factors that affect the short- and long-term toxicity of fire smoke and residues. She co-edited the major reference book in this area, “Fire Toxicity” and has around 100 peer-reviewed publications on fire science, fire toxicity and fire residue analysis.
Prof Stec presented evidence to the UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee on “Toxic chemicals in everyday life”. She served on an expert panel for Dame Judith Hackitt's Review of Building Regulations. She was an invited expert to the Scientific Advisory Group working on the Grenfell Tower soil contamination study, chaired by Sir Patrick Vallance. As an expert witness to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Prof Stec undertook an investigation to determine the fire-derived toxicants and related deposits present in the Tower to determine the extent to which construction product effluents penetrated the Tower.
Recently, she was invited by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to be a member of the Chemistry of Urban Wildfires Committee and a member of the UK's Wildfires Project Advisory Group working on the report on Health Effects of Climate Change. She has also served as Invited Specialist on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans, Volume 132: Occupational Exposure as a Firefighter. Currently, she is also leading a research project, co-funded by the Fire Brigades Union, to identify the causes and rates of cancers amongst UK firefighters. She serves also on several scientific and conference programme committees and journal editorial boards.
Chris Colgan
Chris is a retired Assistant Chief Fire Officer of Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and brings a wealth of expertise and leadership to the realm of firefighting and safety.
With a distinguished career, Chris has served as the Former National PPE Lead, and served as the Inaugural Chair of the NFCC PPE Committee, contributing to the advancement and standardisation of PPE practices across the firefighting community.
Chris has transitioned into the role of an independent consultant, collaborating with Hunter Apparel Solutions. Leveraging years of experience and insights gained from prominent roles, Chris provides valuable consultation in the areas of firefighting equipment, safety protocols, and PPE strategies.
Known for a commitment to excellence and a passion for ensuring the safety of firefighting professionals, Chris continues to make significant contributions to the field, furthering their legacy as a respected figure in fire and rescue services.
Dave Matthews
Dave, a dedicated firefighter from Leeds, West Yorkshire, served as the FBU National Health and Safety Officer for nearly two decades, being elected four times until 2002. He was appointed by the Fire Minister as Chair of UK Fire Service Health and Safety Advisory Board. Dave was also a visiting lecturer at the Fire Service College and is the director of Fire & Industrial PPE, a health and safety consultancy specialising in PPE.
He has chaired BSI, CEN, and ISO PPE Committees for over 20 years and is a delegate on the NFPA Correlating Committee for Fire & Other Emergency Services PPE.
Since August 2023, he's been reviewing and recommending changes to SC14 WG1 & WG2 standards due to the WHO categorising firefighting as a high-risk occupation for cancer. Dave has also developed a ground-breaking technical report for contaminants, demonstrating his lifelong commitment to advancing firefighter safety standards.
Dr David Megson
Dr David Megson is currently a Reader in Chemistry and Environmental Forensics at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). He also works on pollution litigation cases as a Senior Environmental Consultant at Chemistry Matters (Canada).
Dr Megson investigates sources of legacy and emerging persistent organic pollutants and monitors them in the environment using advanced analytical techniques including multidimensional chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Much of Dr Megson's research has an environmental forensics aspect which involves identifying the sources of contamination, transport pathways and the magnitude of pollutant exposure. His current research group includes 7 PhD students and 3 post-doctoral researchers. He has attracted approximately £2.5 Million of research funding since his appointment as a lecturer in 2016.
Dr Megson currently sits on committees for the Royal Society of Chemistry (ESED & INEF), British Mass Spectrometry Society (EFASIG), British Standards Institution (BSI) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO). He has a H-index of 20 and his work has received over 1000 citations. He has organised 10 international conferences, published >50 peer reviewed manuscripts, 4 book chapters and acted as editor for 8 books and journal special issues.
Dr Emily Watkins
Dr Emily Watkins is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Environmental and Exercise Physiology at the University of Roehampton. She gained her PhD from the University of Brighton in 2018, having studied the physiological and immunological consequences of Fire Service Instructors' working practices.
Over the last few years Emily has been working on studies focusing on the health and well-being of Firefighters, with particular emphasis on thermoregulation, inflammation, and female firefighters.
Emily was an invited advisor to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer review of the association between firefighting and cancer. She is also a member of the NFCC Academic Collaboration, Evaluation and Research Group and the Vice Chair of the NFCC FireFit Steering Group.
Erik Ward
As Health Segment GM, Erik is responsible for guiding TFT's strategy for health, with the goal of helping first responders and others live safer and healthier lives. Before joining TFT, he was working with the company to develop the CrewProtect. During this time his father-in-law David, who was a firefighter, was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly after David's passing, Erik had the opportunity to join in TFT's mission full time.
Erik spent eight years in the Army, the last four as a Green Beret. Since leaving the military in 2010, he has worked in a few different industries, developing products, strategies, and teams, which impact the world in positive ways.
Erik graduated from Anderson University (SC) with a Bachelor of Business Administration. Erik and his wife Julie have four children, and currently reside in Valparaiso Indiana. His family enjoys sports, travel, and the outdoors.
John Lord
John, the Managing Director of SimTrainer UK, is a seasoned professional with 45 years of experience in the fire and rescue sector, serving 32 years as an operational fire officer from 1979 to 2011 in various stations and roles. Over the past 13 years, he has dedicated his efforts to delivering accredited incident management training to airport fire and rescue services, local authority fire and rescue services, and other agencies.
His focus extends beyond firefighting to advocate for education on the risks of cancer in responders. This commitment stems from a personal journey with cancer which began in 2013, undergoing multiple operations, including addressing five tumours in his thumb. Witnessing his wife's own cancer battle the year before his diagnosis further fuelled his passion to educate and influence positive behavioural changes.
Emphasising the importance of saving lives through increased awareness, John believes in addressing unseen risks not only for firefighters but for all responders exposed to fires and other events. This mission led him and the SimTrainer UK team, with the support of Alisdair Couper (MD of Terberg DTS), to organise these responder cancer conferences, with last years held in November 2022 at Cranfield University and with 140 delegates.
Beyond the conferences, John actively supports newly diagnosed individuals, offering insights into the mental health challenges of a cancer diagnosis. He is also available to deliver talks shedding light on the reality of particulate impacts on responders. Through his experiences, John aims to make a meaningful difference in behaviors and contribute to the well-being of those facing similar challenges.
Karl Scammell
Karl is currently a member of the Engineering Support team at the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
His key responsibilities include attending incidents to recover aircraft/wreckage, evidence management, casualty recovery and incident ground health & safety.
When not attending incidents, Karl delivers training to RFFS and local authority fire services in aircraft post-crash management both nationally and internationally.
Karls's background is as a mechanical engineer and has wide experience in industry including BAE Systems, Leonardo and within academia.
Robbie Burns
After a brief stint in the Royal Navy and a year as a trawlerman, Rob ventured into London's corporate world, working closely with famous rugby names.
In 1992, he rejoined the Royal Navy as a marine engineer, serving globally for 15 years, including pivotal roles in Gibraltar and tours in Bosnia, Sierra Leone, and Iraq.
Transitioning to Hampshire Fire Service, he dedicated 18 years, serving at multiple Fire Stations across the county.
In 2011, he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 (of 3) Bladder cancer, which has led to over 30 surgeries under General Anaesthetic, along with multiple other challenges to health from the 19 sessions of chemotherapy that complimented surgery.
He attributes his cancer to be most likely from the operational fires he attended over the years.
Now working to raise awareness about the health risks faced by firefighters, Robbie co-chairs a national group advocating for changes in Fire and Rescue Services' behaviours.
His current drive is to legally recognise a firefighter's cancer diagnosis as an occupational disease, aiming to halve cancer incidents in the FRS and secure government support for proper resources, including PPE and medical surveillance. This ongoing endeavour reflects his commitment to positive change within the fire service.
Tom Ashworth
Tom served 30 years in Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, retiring in February 2018. He then set up his own consultancy company, Fire and Fitness and did a two year stint as Fitness Advisor for GMFRS. He is Vice Chair and Retired Member advocate on the NFCC FireFit Steering Group, with a particular interest in Fitness, Health and Wellbeing as we age. During his tenure, he served many roles from firefighter, instructor, Service Fitness Advisor and finally finished his career as WM B in charge of Bispham Fire Station.
Having completed his Watch PTI qualification in 1990, Tom went on to complete his Service PTI course in1996 and joined the FireFit Steering Group in 2012. Amongst numerous Fire Service and professional qualifications, Tom is a L3 Personal Fitness Instructor, working with both professional and private clients. As a fitness expert in the Fire Service, Tom has successfully worked with countless individuals, struggling with their fitness challenges, to meet their individual goals. This has been achieved through a combination of education, inspiration, individualised training programmes, allied with continuous one-to-one support and feedback.
Tom became the Service's first Fitness Advisor in 2014 and set up a Fitness Policy Framework that was highly commended in an Home Office report, being cited as 'National Best Practice,' a template for other services to aspire too and replicate. Tom has been hugely influential, at both local and national level, in the continued advancement of firefighter health, fitness and wellbeing, informed by empirical, peer reviewed, scientific evidence. This approach has led to the UK Fire Service having the leading fitness, health and wellbeing policy and guidance, for emergency services, in the world.
Tom has always been passionate about fitness and health and the myriad of benefits it brings, both mentally and physically. Having been an extremely keen and competitive runner and amateur Boxer, following a minor knee injury, he took to cycling and now trains and competes with the same enthusiasm in road, track, gravel and mountain biking events.
Tommy Kristoffersen
With a dedicated 28-year tenure in the Bergen Fire Department, Tommy has spent two decades as a firefighter before assuming the roles of fire officer and acting fire chief over the last eight years.
Beyond the call of duty, he has actively engaged with the pressing cancer issue in Norway since the revelation of elevated cancer risks in 2011. He is the co-founder and chairman of the board in the Norwegian Firefighters Fight Cancer Union and plays a pivotal part in spearheading initiatives to address and combat the specific challenges posed by cancer within the firefighting community, reflecting his dedication to both his profession and the health of his colleagues.
