Webinar
Effective Participation in Codes and Standards -
A Matter of Life Safety.
Course Lessons
Meet our Panelists
Keith Brower
Special Projects Consultant
Chief W. Keith Brower, Jr. has been a Special Projects Consultant for the National Fallen Firefighters
Foundation (NFFF) since June 2019. His primary role is to represent the Foundation on the Vision 20/20 Steering Committee however he is also responsible for developing content and training to increase awareness for Life Safety Initiatives #14 and #15. In 2020, Chief Brower became an Advocate under the “Everyone Goes Home” program. Chief Brower retired from the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue Service (LC-CFRS) in 2018 following 45 years of career and volunteer service. Among all of the ranks, he served as the Chief Fire Marshal from 2003-2010, and County Fire and Rescue Chief from 2010-2018. Chief Brower possesses numerous professional certifications. In 2018 he was recognized as a “Chief Fire Officer” by the Center for Public Safety Excellence and was honored as the Governor of Virginia’s“Career Fire Chief of the Year.” In 2019, Chief Brower was given the “Distinguished Alumni” award by Bridgewater College.
James "Robby" Dawson
Southeast Regional Director - NFPA
James "Robby" Dawson is the Southeastern Regional Director for the National Fire Protection Association. In that position he advocates for fire safety, code development and adoption, and conducts presentations nationally on topics associated with Community Risk Reduction (CRR), standards and regulations, leadership, emergency operations, and management. Robby is a 32 year veteran of the Chesterfield (Virginia) Fire and EMS Department where he served as an Assistant Chief of the CRR Branch and oversaw the fire marshals office, public education section, community relations, media and public affairs officers, and the county’s Emergency Management Office. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond in Emergency Services Management, a Masters degree in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is an Accredited Chief Fire Officer by the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
Karl Fippinger
Vice President, Fire and Disaster Mitigation - International Code Council
Karl Fippinger is a Senior Executive leading advocacy for resilient codes and standards in the built environment with the nation's fire service and
emergency management leaders. He is a 30-year veteran of the fire and emergency services having served as an Assistant Fire Chief with the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department in Prince William County, VA as well as an adjunct instructor with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Fairfax County, VA. Karl is a Certified Emergency Manager and serves as a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Advisory Council. He brings more than 25 years of public and private sector experience in federal, state,
and local disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
Victor Stagnaro
Chief Executive Officer
Victor Stagnaro is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). With over 40 years of fire service experience, Chief Stagnaro’s involvement with the Foundation began in 1998 when he served as the first Incident Commander for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. His fire service career started as a volunteer firefighter in Silver Spring, Maryland (Montgomery County), and he was hired by the Prince George's County Fire/Emergency Medical Services Department in the mid-1980s. He worked his way through the ranks, retiring as the Chief of Operations after 25 years with the Department. In 2010, Victor joined the NFFF full-time as the Director of Fire Service programs, where he spearheaded initiatives to reduce preventable line of duty deaths. In 2018, he was promoted to Managing Director, where he led the organization's day-to-day operations. In June 2023, he was selected as the Foundation's CEO, where he leads both the NFFF and the First Responder Center for Excellence, focused on working with other national organizations to promote education and research initiatives dedicated to protecting the lives of first responders, nationwide.