Chiefsade Emergency Response Consulting Partners

Jeff Dygert is a respected and experienced public service leader with a focus on public

safety and emergency services. Jeff recently retired after 31 years of service with a small New York State municipality, the last nine years as City Manager. Prior to taking on the manager role, Jeff served 22 years with the municipality’s fire department in all ranks, including 6 years as Fire Chief. 

Jeff continues to instruct for a number of organizations on emergency service topics and leadership/management. He has been an integral part of curriculum development for several courses designed to guide emergency service leaders to successfully manage incidents, people, and organizational development. He has presented and written on a variety of topics related to the delivery of emergency services; audiences include public

safety service leaders as well as elected and appointed municipal officials.

Jeff currently serves as a local deputy county fire coordinator responsible for a rural area’s response to multi-agency incidents, training, compliance, and technical rescue.

Jeff has influenced and guided several notable projects, including the construction of a new fire station during Covid, that came in under budget and repurposed a long vacant commercial building and helped to rejuvenate a locally unstable neighborhood. He also took on the establishment of a municipal Advanced Life Support ambulance service, which within a few short years, has grown to include contracts with several adjacent towns.

Jeff understands the delicate balance between the need for effective quality emergency services and the financial and political realities facing leaders. He sees firsthand the struggles local leaders experience pursuing compliance with countless regulations while simultaneously working to keep their organizations effective and relevant.

Robert Johnson is a seasoned fire and emergency services professional with more than 28 years of experience. He has considerable knowledge and experience spanning local, state, and federal settings and has provided presentations for state and international associations.

Rob began his public safety career in 1997 and has served in both career and volunteer fire capacities as a career Firefighter-EMT with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and as a past Assistant Chief and Training Officer for the Shortsville Fire Department. His extensive credentials include Pro Board National Certifications as a Fire Officer IV, Fire and Emergency Services Instructor II, Fire Inspector II, Incident Safety Officer, Hazardous Materials Operations Technician, and Firefighter II.

Rob retired from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services-Office of Fire Prevention and Control, where he served as State Fire Instructor and Fire Protection Specialist at the New York State Academy of Fire Science. Rob was instrumental in leading diverse stakeholders for the development and delivery of advanced training programs for fire and EMS professionals across the state. In this capacity, Rob led the development and implementation of a Fire Officer II course specific to the operations for the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and the first Fire Officer IV course in New York State. As a Fire Protection Specialist, Rob also served as

part of local, regional, and state Incident Management Teams, including the New York State Fire Operations Center, in response to various incidents within New York State.

Rob holds a Master of Science in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University, where he has collaborated with internal and external stakeholders to apply all phases of emergency management within the healthcare industry and institutes of higher education.

Robert Johnson brings a blend of knowledge, field experience, instructional expertise, and strategic leadership to address the unique and ever-changing challenges that fire and

emergency services organizations face.