2022 VCOS Training Officer Award Winner: Captain John White of Apex Fire Department

Captain John White, Fire Training Coordinator from Apex (N.C.) Fire Department, Named the 2022 Recipient

SAN DIEGO, CA – August 9, 2022 – Vector Solutions, the leading provider of purpose-built training and operational management software applications for public safety agencies, in partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS), are proud to announce Captain John White, Fire Training Coordinator at the Apex (N.C.) Fire Department, as the recipient of the 2022 VCOS Training Officer Award.

“It is again the pleasure of VCOS to be partnered with Vector Solutions for the Training Officer Award,” said Chief Norvin Collins, VCOS Board Member and Award Committee member. “This year is even more special since it is the first award following the pandemic. The submissions really demonstrated the necessity of the Training Officer’s ability to be resilient and flexible. Using tools like Vector Solutions for remote learning truly allowed emergency responders to maintain their knowledge during those challenging times. Congratulations to our winner and to all those who were submitted for consideration. Remember, training saves lives; both the citizens we protect and ours. Keep training.”

The award honors training officers for exemplary conduct and dedication to their fire department’s training program. Captain White has demonstrated these qualities by being an instrumental part in the dramatic improvement of Apex Fire’s ISO review in late 2020, in which the department impressively earned the coveted Class 1 rating in January 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Receiving this award was unexpected,” Captain White said. “I was floored, overwhelmed, and surprised to earn this honor,” he continued, “but there is no ‘I’ in ‘team’ and without the support of my department, the [Vector LMS] training management system, and help from the dedicated people at Vector who come from the fire service and have been in my shoes, we would not have achieved a Class 1 ISO rating.”

By leveraging Vector LMS (formerly TargetSolutions), Captain White helped ensure that quality training was available to all members throughout the pandemic, which was essential during times of social distancing and quarantine and played a key role in the department achieving a Class 1 ISO rating. Considering that there was no grace period offered by ISO regarding training due to the pandemic, Captain White’s leadership and tenacity to utilize online tools to keep training on track were invaluable.

In addition to spearheading the adoption of Vector LMS and its subsequent use to help the department improve its ISO rating, Captain White has many other responsibilities at Apex Fire that contribute to the success of the department’s training program. He is responsible for scheduling departmental and continuing education training for the department and making routine and special assignments through Vector LMS for special topics, monthly safety training, and the dissemination of new and updated policies. He is also in charge of ensuring all EMS personnel meet the continuing education requirements to maintain their EMT certification, which is critical to the success of the providers and the department.

Captain White’s passion for the fire service is reflected in his dedication to training and guiding the next generation of firefighters. As a former company officer and in his current training role, Captain White continues to mentor several of his previous firefighters and receives requests from others wanting to learn from his expertise and experience.

The 2022 VCOS Training Officer Award will be presented to Captain John White at the VCOS Annual Meeting at Fire-Rescue International (FRI) 2022 in San Antonio, Texas, on Aug. 25.

Visit Vector Solutions at booth No. 2829 to see what Vector’s suite of training, staffing, performance, and asset management solutions can do for your agency. This year marks the ninth consecutive year Vector Solutions and the VCOS have partnered to present this award.

Captain John White of Apex (North Carolina) Fire Department joins a group of leaders in the fire service industry who have been recognized for their excellence: Volunteer Training Coordinator James Hedrick of the Fairfax County (Virginia) Fire and Rescue Department (2021), Deputy Chief of Training Karl Neubecker of Ellington (Connecticut) Fire Department (2020), Chief Lee Whitner of South Adams County (Colorado) Fire Department (2019), Deputy Chief Joshua Blum of the Loveland-Symmes (Ohio) Fire Department (2018), Training Chief Michael Accardo III of the St. Tammany (Louisiana) Fire District 9 (2017), Deputy Chief Steve Malone of the Manhattan (Illinois) Fire Protection District (2016), Assistant Chief Brad Pinsky of Manlius (New York) Fire Department (2015), and Captain Chip Everett of Oshtemo (Michigan) Fire and Rescue (2014).

About the VCOS

VCOS provides chiefs and chief officers who manage volunteers within a volunteer or combination fire, rescue or EMS delivery system with information, education, services and representation to enhance their professionalism. The IAFC’s VCOS mission is to provide chiefs and chief officers who manage volunteers within a volunteer or combination fire, rescue or EMS delivery system with information, education, services and representation to enhance their professionalism. The VCOS vision is to represent the interests of all volunteer and combination fire/rescue/EMS agencies. We are a dynamic organization, characterized by our integrity, customer focus and membership development, with value placed on people and the superior utilization of technology. We excel by creating educational programs through unrivaled networking and by helping VCOS members further their success and reach their potential. For more information, visit IAFC.org/VCOS.

About Vector Solutions

Vector Solutions is the leading provider of award-winning, intelligent SaaS solutions that help organizations and individuals operate at the highest level and prepare for more challenging workplaces and environments. Providing industry-focused solutions that connect information and technology, its unique product set includes training management, continuing education (CE), compliance training, workforce scheduling, safety management, and more. Reaching approximately 31 million users and more than 35 thousand clients worldwide, Vector’s mission is to serve everyday heroes by delivering intelligent software solutions that empower them to make safer, smarter, better decisions. For more information, visit www.vectorsolutions.com.