Fire & Foliage Symposium

🔥 Speaker Announcement — CJ Dickinson
We train to size-up every incident.
But how often do we size-up ourselves?
We’re proud to welcome Battalion Chief Charles J. Dickinson II of Picatinny Arsenal Fire &
Emergency Services to Fire & Foliage.
With more than 26 years of leadership experience in both business and the fire service, Chief
Dickinson brings a unique approach to mental wellness, translating familiar fireground
principles into practical strategies for personal readiness and leadership development.
In “Size-Up Within,” attendees will learn how to apply operational concepts like situational
awareness, command structure, and mutual aid to their own mental wellness. Through
scenario-based learning and guided reflection, this session bridges the gap between tactical
decision-making and personal resilience.
Because the same clarity and composure we expect on the fireground should exist within
ourselves and our teams.
Fire & Foliage is built to challenge how we think, lead, and take care of our people, inside and
outside the station.
🎟 Join us at the table: www.firstdueproject.org
📍 Fire & Foliage | October 16–17, 2026 | Nashua, NH
The Fire & Foliage lineup continues to grow. Be in the room.

Leadership isn't reserved for the officer's seat.

It's in the firefighter who notices someone struggling.

The senior member who teaches without being asked.

The probationary firefighter who shows up prepared every single day.

Every department gets stronger when more people choose to lead.

That's what Fire & Foliage is about.

🔥 Fire & Foliage Symposium
📍 October 17, 2026 | Nashua, NH

www.firstdueproject.org

Fire & Foliage is more than a conference. It's an opportunity to make the most of your weekend.

Spend the day learning from leaders across the fire service, then enjoy everything the weekend has to offer. Explore downtown Nashua, share a meal with friends, unwind at the host hotel, or bring your family along and make the trip together.

However your weekend looks, we hope you'll leave with new ideas, meaningful connections, and memories that last well beyond the final session.

📍 Nashua, NH
📅 October 16–17, 2026

🔗 Register at firstdueproject.org

Some people like to head home at the end of the day.

Others know the best conversations happen after the schedule ends.

When you attend conferences or events, what's your preference?

🏨 Stay at the hotel
🚗 Commute from home

A great event is more than the time spent in the classroom.

It's the conversations over breakfast before the day begins. The familiar faces in the lobby. The opportunity to stay present, engaged, and connected throughout the entire experience.

That's why staying onsite matters.

Whether you're traveling from across the country or just down the road, staying at our host hotel allows you to make the most of your time at Fire & Foliage without rushing out at the end of the day or missing the moments in between.

Staying onsite isn't just about convenience. It's about getting the full experience.

🔥 Fire & Foliage Symposium
October 16-17, 2026 | Nashua, NH

www.firstdueproject.org

Some events come together because there was an open weekend on the calendar.

Fire & Foliage wasn't one of them.

Every speaker was invited because they have earned something worth sharing. Not theories. Not recycled presentations. Lessons learned through experience.

Every conversation is an opportunity to challenge ideas, share perspectives, and learn from one another.

Every connection has the potential to strengthen your leadership long after the symposium ends.

We didn't build this event to simply fill seats.

We built it to create an experience that equips firefighters to return to their departments with new ideas, stronger relationships, and a renewed commitment to leading well.

If that's the kind of conference you're looking for, we'd love to have you with us.

🍁 Fire & Foliage Symposium
📍 Nashua, NH
📅 October 16–17

Register today at firstdueproject.org

Taking care of our own is more than a slogan. It's a responsibility.

It's checking in before someone has to ask.

It's creating a culture where people are supported, challenged, and encouraged to grow.

It's recognizing that leadership isn't measured only on the fireground, but in the example we set every day.

Because when we take care of our own, everyone gets better.

That's the kind of leadership we're committed to fostering at Fire & Foliage.

🔥 Fire & Foliage Symposium
📍 October 16-17, 2026 | Nashua, NH

Learn more at firstdueproject.org

🔥 Speaker Announcement — Dr. Keven McNeill

The strongest leaders don't just build better firefighters. They build organizations where people want to stay.

We're honored to welcome Dr. Keven McNeill, Fire Chief of the Danielson Fire Department and CEO of Quiet Corner Peer Support Group, to Fire & Foliage.

With nearly three decades as a first responder, Dr. McNeill brings a deeply personal perspective to leadership, mental wellness, and organizational culture. After surviving a violent assault as a police officer and navigating his own recovery from PTSD and severe depression, he has dedicated his career to helping first responders and leaders break the stigma surrounding mental health and create healthier workplaces.

In "When Leaders Walk Away: Creating a Culture Worth Staying For," Dr. McNeill shares how vulnerability, resilience, and intentional leadership helped transform a department struggling with division, mistrust, and low morale. Through powerful storytelling and practical strategies, attendees will learn how trust can be rebuilt, psychological safety can be fostered, and leaders can create environments where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.

Because leadership isn't measured by the people who stay because they have to. It's measured by the culture you've built that makes them want to.

Fire & Foliage is built around the conversations that strengthen departments long after the conference ends.

🎟️ The room is taking shape: www.firstdueproject.org
📍 Fire & Foliage | October 16–17, 2026 | Nashua, NH

More voices joining the conversation soon. Be in the room.