Dan Haden is a 40-year veteran of Toronto Fire Services where he worked as a firefighter and officer in the Operations, Training and Recruitment Divisions, as well as special projects in human rights, and equity.

Dan was also owner and publisher of The Fire Services Journal, Canada’s largest fire service publication; President of The Fire Services Resource Centre on behalf of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, Fire Prevention Canada, and the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs. Dan taught frequently at community colleges in the Greater Toronto Area in subjects related to law clerking, adult education, and pre-service firefighting.

Dan has attended and presented at numerous fire service conferences across Canada and the United States and mutual aid associations in Ontario. He has consulted with and/or been a member of advisory boards and committees with several private-sector fire service businesses, Ontario community colleges, Toronto Fire Services, and the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Association to name a few.

Dan has authored four editions of one college-level textbook, and two editions of another, as well as numerous published fire-service-related articles.

Dan has a B.A. in Psychology from York University, a Master of Arts in Adult Education from Central Michigan University, six college Certificates in Business from Centennial College, and a Vice-Provost’s Certificate in Fire Safety from the University of Missouri.

Welcome to Work’n Fire, a dedicated digital newsletter serving the fire service industry. My name is Denning Wells, and I’m deeply committed to providing valuable information, training, and resources to support the incredible professionals in emergency services.

I began my career as a Firefighter/Emergency Response Maintainer for a Nuclear Facility on their Industrial Fire Brigade, a role that gave me a unique understanding of the critical need for precision, training, and readiness in emergency response. Today, I serve as a First Class Operations Firefighter with one of the largest fire services in North America. Alongside this, I’m part of a specialized task force focused on large-scale and mass crowd events, where my team and I work tirelessly to ensure public safety during some of the most challenging scenarios.

Beyond my primary duties, I remain deeply engaged with my community, volunteering with Marine Search and Rescue, always seeking ways to make a difference in times of need. Training has always been a driving force for me, starting with my early opportunity to train professionals in emergency medical response. This passion for education led me to pursue formal qualifications in Fire Protection and Engineering, expanding my expertise in the safety and efficiency of fire services.

Work’n Fire was born out of my desire to create a platform that supports continual learning, knowledge exchange, and the sharing of best practices across the fire service community. I believe in the power of learning from one another, keeping firefighters safe, and enhancing our ability to provide exceptional service to the communities we serve. Through Work’n Fire, I aim to contribute to a culture of growth, safety, and excellence in fire service.

Sue Wells is a veteran of the Ontario community college system, beginning her career as a member of the faculty in Early Childhood Education at Centennial College, and advancing into positions as Program Co-Ordinator, Chair of Community and Child Studies, and Dean of Academics, Learning and Scholarship.

Sue has been a member of numerous committees and panels and brings extensive knowledge across a wide-range of strategic management areas including curriculum development and implementation; collective agreement administration and implementation; human resources; recruitment; strategic planning; budgeting and financial accountability; human rights; training; learning management systems; and much more.

Sue was a contributing author to a textbook in her field of study, and a co-author of a textbook on academic faculty leadership through reflective practices – now available as an online guide for excellence in teaching adults. She has also written numerous papers and articles, primarily in academic leadership as well as fire service leadership.

Sue has spoken at numerous academic and fire-service conferences and academic events both in Canada and the United States.

Sue has a B.A. in Psychology from York University; a M.A. in Adult Education from Central Michigan University; a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Centennial College; a Resource Teacher Certificate from Centennial College; and a Certificate in Special Needs Education from Brock University.

Kira Haden has extensive knowledge in marketing, public relations, and event management.

Kira has worked with numerous private-sector organizations in areas of building image and brand recognition especially in business-to-business (B2B) endeavours and applications. She has organized significant national and international events and presences.

Kira has an Honours B.A. in Mass Communications from Carelton University, and an Advanced Diploma in Public Relations from Durham College.