Conducting Relevant Employee Performance Reviews

Craig A. Haigh is a retired fire chief who has led volunteer, combination, and career fire departments. He served as fire chief for more than 30 years, leading departments in Illinois and North Carolina before retiring in July 2021. He is the author of the new book, The Dynamic Fire Chief: Principles for Organizational Management (Fire Engineering). He has also served as an Interim Village Manager. He was named the 2012 Illinois Career Fire Chief of the Year and is the recipient of the 2019 International Association of Fire Chiefs - Chief Alan Brunacini Executive Safety Award. He has published more than forty trade journal articles on a variety of leadership topics. He now serves as an independent consultant focused on management and organizational leadership, as well as firefighter health and safety. His consulting work regularly extends into the private business sector as well. He is the spokesperson for the congressionally mandated National Firefighter Registry for Cancer (NFR). The NFR is a program of NIOSH/CDC and is focused on tracking cancer in the fire service. He is a regular speaker and presenter sharing his experiences and insights with both emergency service and private sector leaders.

John M. Buckman III served as a German Township Fire Chief managing volunteers for 35 years. He is most proud of the title “pawpaw.” Leslie his wife has spent 29 years together. He currently serves as Education Coordinator for the International Association of Fire Chief Volunteer and Combination Officers Section. He is the Director of Government and Regional Outreach for IamResponding. He served as the Indiana Fire Academy Director for 15 years. He served as President of the International Association of Fire Chief in 2001-2002.

He has authored over 150 articles in various publications. In 1996 he was selected by Fire Chief Magazine as Fire Chief of the Year in 1996. He has published 4 books and 7 photography books. He received the Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels Meritorious Service Award. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2022 he received the Jimmy Seavey Health and Wellness award presented by the NVFC. and the Presidents Award from the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.

He was one of the founders of the Volunteer and Combination Officer Section (VCOS) and the National Fire Academy Alumni Association. He has contributed to several “ribbon reports” published by the VCOS. He was asked to be one of the editors for the original Lavender Ribbon Report published by the VCOS and NVFC in 2019. In 2021 he along with Brian McQueen spearheaded the update for the Lavender Ribbon Report. He is a principal author of the Yellow Ribbon Report and the updated updated Training Volunteers white paper published by the National Volunteer Fire Council and the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section.