Professional Objective: The keen ability to educate as well as motivate people coupled with vast experience in state and federal educational programs are key assets Beth holds. Beths states, "I believe that the true worth I hold as a human being is the ability to serve my fellow man with integrity, honesty and sincere compassion for their individual well-being through hard work and dedication.

Beth's educational background consists of a Master of Arts degree in October 1987 from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. She holds a Master of Science degree (1976) and a Bachelor of Science degree (1975) from the University of Central Arkansas. She was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award for both degrees from the University of Central Arkansas.

Beth Higgs professional experience began as a Home Economics Education instructor with the Bradford Public Schools. She served the White County Central Public Schools as Home Economics Education and Career Development Education instructor. She served the Arkansas Department of Education from 1987 to 1991 as In-service Training Specialist. She was the Education and Literacy Coordinator for the Central Arkansas Private Industry Council/Pulaski County Special School District in 1991 and Education and Literacy Coordinator Supervisor from 1992 through 1994. In 1994 Beth began her current work as an independent professional growth consultant.

Beth's honors and achievements include recognition as a keynote speaker for various national conferences and state conventions. She was honored as one of the Outstanding Young Women of America for 1986 and 1988, Outstanding Alumni Achiever by the University of Central Arkansas in 1989, named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Arkansans by the Arkansas Jaycees in 1990, awarded a certificate of appreciation by the Arkansas Treasurers Association in 1993 and by the Arkansas Human Development Corporation in 1994.

Beth is a member of the Cabot United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, the National Employment and Training Association, the International Speakers Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilot's Association. She is married to Cabot Police Department Sergeant Robert Higgs and is the mother of three children.

David graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education. He is a certified teacher in Vocational Agriculture and a past member of the Dumas Indepenent School District Board of Trustees.

David is president and general manager of Moore County Grain Handling Company in Dumas where he has worked since 1970. He is a past director at the First State Bank of Dumas and the Dumas Bankshares. He presently serves as the marketing specialist for the Dumas Co-op.

David is active in his community, his business trade organizations and his church. He is a life member of the Texas FFA Alumni, past president of the Panhandle Grain and Feed Association, past president of the Texas Grain and Feed Association, member of the National Grain and Feed Association, and a member of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.

David was elected to the Texas House of Representatives from the 87th District in 1990. During the 72nd Legislative Session he served on the House Agriculture and Livestock Committee and the House Cultural and Historical Committee. David was re-elected to the 87th District in 1992. During the 73rd Session, he serves on the House Agriculture and Wildlife Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.

As a member of the Legislature, David serves in several leadership capacities. He is a member and vice-chairman of the Rural Coalition, a member of the Conservative Coalition, a member of the Sportsmen's Caucus and a member of the Republican Caucus.

David and his wife, Joyce, have two children and two grandchildren. Their son Chris, lives with his wife Brenda and their two children in Portales, New Mexico. The daughter, Melissa Swinford, is a teacher in Cactus, Texas.

Chief Paulsgrove is a graduate of Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fire Administration and is pursuing his graduate degree in Public Administration at Southwestern Texas State University.

Paulsgrove is an officer in the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association. He leads the fire prevention mission by example as a trustee on the National Fire Protection Association's Research Foundation and as a regular management columnist in the NFPA "Journal". At home, he models a community commitment through his work with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Austin.

Paulsgrove is married to Yvonne Casarez, a kindergarten teacher and he is the father of Zachary, 13, and Lindsay, 11.

Mr. Coyle is currently serving as the Deputy Superintendent of the National Fire Academy, having previously served as the Assistant Administrator for Fire Prevention and Arson Control in the U.S. Fire Administration. His previous management positions include having served as City Manager, Norristown, Pennsylvania; Executive Director, Southern Insititute for Human Resources Management, Atlanta, Georgia; Assistant Director, Cuban/Haitian Task Force, U.S. Department of State; Associate Director, Management Development Center, International City Management Association; and Chief of Party, Planning and Human Systems, Inc. in Cairo, Egypt.

Mr. Coyle was elected in November of 1993 as Mayor of the City of Rockville, Maryland, for a 2-year term after serving four terms on the City Council (1985 - 1993). He was responsible with the Council for all affairs of the City. He represented the city on the National League of Cities Finance, Administration, and Intergovernmental Relations Policy Committee. He also served on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Public Safety Committee and the Metropolitan Planning Committee. He also served as chair of the U. S. Conference of Mayors Energy and Environment Policy Committee.

Mr. Coyle served as an adjunct instructor in management for three years at DeKalb College in Decatur, Georgia. Mr. Coyle has extensive media and public speaking experience and has had numerous articles published in professional journals and newspapers.

Mr. Coyle has a baccalaureate degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, and a masters degree in Urban Management from Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Smith was appointed by the Governor of the State of Tennessee to the Tennessee Commission on Fire Fighting Personnel Standards & Education. He was selected through a competitive process of nationwide fire service leaders by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to attend the "Program for Senior Executives in State & Local Government at the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1984. Smith graduated from the 1995 Leadership Memphis class.

Smith is actively involved in emergency services at the local, state, and federal level participating through the International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Fire Protection Association, National Fire Academy, and the U. S. Fire Administration. He holds membership in the Advisory Council for National Institute for Urban Search & Rescue, Tennessee Fire Chiefs - Board of Directors, The Alliance for Fire & Emergency Management - Standards Cabinet, Tennessee Commission on Firefighting Personnel Standards & Education - Commissioner, Catholic Charities Inc. - Board of Directors, and the Fire Museum of Memphis - Board of Directors.

Charles Smith is married, with three children and is an active member of the St. Ann Catholic Church - Bartlett.

Staff Coordinator Randy Bohman is currently assigned to DEA Headquarters, State and Local Programs Section, Methamphetamine Program. In his current postion, he is responsible for coordinating enforcement and training programs involving methamphetamine investigations. He was a former police officer in the State of Florida. Bohman's prior assignments included 8-1/2 years in Houston and Galveston, Texas as a Special Agent before being promoted to a Group Supervisor position in Chicago, Illinois. He spent 4-1/2 years in this position before being transferred to his current postion in DEA Headquarters.

Mr. Moore was formerly a Fire Protection Specialist 1 with the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, New York State Academy of Fire Science, Montour Falls, New York. He attained an Associates Degree in Fire Protection Technology from Monroe Community College, Rochester, New York. He was awarded an Associates Degree with High Honors Graphic Arts and Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York. He was awarded the George D. Post Instructor of the Year award by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors. Moore authored "Vehicle Rescue and Extrication", a training text published by C. V. Mosby Co., St. Louis, Missouri and authored the "CARBUSTER" series published by American Safety Video Publishers. He also created School Bus Rescue video tape #6.

Moore was a volunteer firefighter in the Florida fire service and with the South Williamsport, Pennsylvania from 1967 - 1971. He was a career firefighter/Fire Lieutenant Henrietta Fire District, Henrietta, New York 1971 - 1984. He served as Assistant Chief, with the Montour Falls, New York Fire Department 1984 - 1993.

Wilsker received an AAS from Montgomery College in Takoma Park, Maryland in 1971 in Physical Sciences; a BSBA in Personnel Management and Labor Relations and International Business Administration from the University College, University of Maryland in 1975; and a Master's Degree in Business from the University of Maryland in 1976. In 1993, Wilsker graduated from the Jefferson County, Texas Sheriff's Academy and was TCLEOSE certified as a Basic Peace Officer. In 1994 he was commissioned as a Jefferson County Deputy Seriff (Reserve).

Mr. Wilsker has worked with the U. S. Customs on child pornography cases, the auto theft task force, and on computer crime. Wilsker teaches in-service law enforcement classes at the Regional Police Academy and pre-service classes at the Correctional Officer Academy. He has developed and taught an Internet for Law Enforcement class that is now used in several other academies in Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania.

Wilsker maintains the largest and most comprehensive law enforcement web page on the Internet at http://www.ih2000.net/ira/ira.htm and currently maintains six other web pages as well.

He began his fire service career as a volunteer fire fighter while a high school teacher in Iowa. After changing careers, he served as a full-time fire fighter and a fire inspector in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Oster left Scottsdale to become Chief of West Des Moines (Iowa) Fire Department where his primary duty was enforcement of the Life Safety Code, as well as managing the fire suppression forces.

In 1979-80 Dr. Oster completed a one year assignment with the United States Fire Administration, developing the student manual and workshop for the Fire Safety Evaluation System for Health Care Facilities. He has also taught health care safety courses across the United States and in Europe for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, the American Hospital Association and state hospital associations. He has served as an expert for the Health Care Financing Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services in the area of the Life Safety Code and its evaluation systems for hospitals, nursing homes and board and care facilities.

As Executive Officer of the Fire Service Institute, George Oster is responsible for the administration of the state fire and emergency services training agency mandated to deliver fire service education and certification to the state's 20,000 fire fighter and 881 fire departments, as well as allied professionals, and industrial, corporate and private citizens.

He holds an A.A.S. from Queene College and a B.A. and M.A. from City University of New York. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at Manhattan College in Fire Protection Design and as an instructor at the National Fire Academy teaching Command and Control of Fire Department Major Operations.

Vincent Dunn has authored Safety and Survival on the FIreground, Collapse of Burning Buildings and is a contributing editor to Fire Engineering Magazine and Firehouse Magazine. He wrote a bimonthly column for Firehouse Magazine entitled "Fire Studies" for 5 years.

He has been a member of the nationa Fire Protection Association since 1972, a member of the New York State Fire Chief's Association since 1991, and a member of the New York City Fire Chief's Association since 1973. He was voted "Man of the Year" in 1991 by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.

White holds certification as an instructor with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and Industrial Education certification with the Texas Education Agency. In addition he is certified as a fire protection expert in Louisiana, Minnesota, New York City & State, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Kansas.

The following are among his many honors and awards; appointed to the Advisory Board of Congressional Fire Caucus, Washington, D. C., 1989; appointed to the Advisory Board of the Fire & Safety Engineering Technology Program, Oklahoma State University, 1990; appointed to the Advisory Board of the International Disaster and Rescue Magazine, United Kingdom, 1989; Ohio State Fire School Certificate for contributions to the success of the fire school, 1974 and 1977.

His professional memberships and affiliations include, the American Society of Engineers, American Petroleum Institute/Fire and Safety Committee, State Firemen's and Fire Marshal's Association, National Fire Proteciton Association (charter member, Fire Service section, Industrial Fire Protection section), International Society of Fire Service Instructors (Board of Directors, 1978-1984), National Safety Council, Society for the Advancement of Fire Service (charter member and officer), Texas Society of Fire Service Instructors (charter member and officer), National Association of Fire Science & Administration (charter member), American 76 Hose Company (Fire Buff Organization), Rio Grandy Valley Firemen's & Fire Marshal's Association (officer).

His initial interest in fire-related evidence was kindled by analyses of fire debris conducted while at alameda County but has since extended to include research into fire behavior and diagnostic signs. This research is based on first-hand fire experiments involving full scale structure fires under controlled conditions. He has been involved in hundreds of fire and explosion cases and has been an expert witness in civil and criminal trials across the U.S. He has helped produce several training videotapes through the California Department of Justice and the Arson-Bomb Investigation Unit of the California Fire Marshal. Lectures have been given by him before police, fire and forensic audiences across the U.S., Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Among his publishing accomplishments are portions of the California District Attorneys Association Manuals Arson Investigation and Arson Prosecution, and co-authoring the chapter on "Gas Chromatography in Arson and Explosives Analysis" in Gas Chromatography in Forensic Science, (Ian Tebbett, Ed.). John authored the widely read textbook, Kirk's Fire Investigation, 2nd Ed. (1991 )and 3rd Ed. (1993).

To maintain international participation in fire investigation, John has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences since 1975, and serces on its editorial board; is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators; is active on the IAAI Forensic Science Committee on Fire Investigation. He was recently elected Associate of the Institute of Fire Engineers, (United Kingdom). He has been a member of the California Association of Criminalists since 1971 and was it's President in 1983-1984. He holds a Diploma in Fire Investigation from the Forensic Science Society and is a Fellow of the American Board of Criminalistics (Fire Debris Specialty).

Commissioner Hairston began his career with the Philadelphia Fire Department 32 years ago. In 1971, he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to Ladder Company #6 where he received a Letter of Commendation from the department for help in removing two bodies from a water tower 160 feet above ground. In 1978 he was promoted to Captain and then to Battalion Chief in 1981. While Battalion Chief, he also worked in Command Inspections and the Fire Marshal's Office as the Deputy Fire Marshal. After his promotion to Deputy Chief in 1986, he served the department as Chief of the Fire Prevention Division. From January 1988 until July 1992, he served as Deputy Commissioner for Staff Services. More recently, Commissioner Hairston played a significant role in the process of developing legislation for the adoption of the BOCA Fire Prevention Code with amendments specific to Philadelphia.

The Commissioner is a member of the National Fire Protection Association and the Urban Fire Forum, Building Officials and Code Administrators, the International Associaiont of Black Professional Firefighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Metro Fire Chiefs. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Deleware Valley Burn Foundation, Hero Scholarship Fund, Police Athletic League, Variety Club and the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Commisioner Hairston attended A&T University in North Carolina, Penn State University - Abington Campus, Philadelphia Community College, and received other specialized training. He has qualified in Municipal and Common Pleas Court as an expert witness and has testified before the Consumer Products Safety Commission in Washington, D.C. as an expert regarding home fire safety.

"Boo" has been involved in teaching and developing training on a Statewide and National basis since 1985. He currently instructs Advanced Incident Command at the National Advanced Resource Technology Center located at Marana, Arizona. He is a qualified Type I Incident Commander and presently serves as the Operations Section Chief, on one of the United States Forestry Service Regional Overhead teams.

"Boo" has a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Stephen F. Austin State University. He has done graduate work in Forest Business Administration at Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M University.