Founding Contributor
NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 17 years in the fire service in Piscataway, NJ, a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor, a State of New Jersey Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website. A martial arts practitioner and former collegiate athlete in baseball, Nick is also a National Exercise & Sports Trainer Association Battle Ropes Instructor, Functional Fitness Instructor and Nutrition Coach. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University, and a A.A.S in Liberal Arts - Business from Middlesex County College. Nick has spoken at the 2017 & 2018 Firehouse Expo in Nashville, TN as well as at numerous fire departments within NJ and fire service podcasts.
Outside the fire service, Nick is married and enjoys spending time with his wife, music, playing and watching baseball, strength and conditioning training and traveling.
Lead Contributor
TOM MARCHIANO joined the fire service in 2004. Tom takes pride in training and learning every aspect of the job. Tom enjoys teaching others and passing along information, so in 2013 He attended the New York State fire academy to achieve NYS Fire Instructor 1 / National Fire Instructor. During his 16 years of service, Tom has held Lieutenant, Captain, and now his current position of 2nd Assistant Chief. Tom also has a background in the dispatch aspect of emergency services as he is currently a senior public safety dispatcher for his county 911 center. Tom continues training for firefighting, dispatching, and Emergency management.
Outside Emergency Services, Tom enjoys spending time with friends and family, visiting small coastal towns, as well as enjoying hockey and football.
Contributor
DAVID WIKLANSKI is a Firefighter/EMT for the New Brunswick (NJ) Fire Department. He is a NJ certified Fire Instructor level II, an EMT Instructor and State of New Jersey Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation. He has a Master’s degree in Behavioral Sciences from Kean University where he is on faculty with the Psychology Department. He authored the book Suicide Bombers: Understanding Suicide Terrorism from a Cultural and Memetic Perspective. He is the owner of Alpha Omega Training Solutions. http://www.alphaomegatrainingsolutions.com/
David is also an advocate, speaker and educator on mental health with a focus on emergency services mental health and shares way to connect responders with the available resources to not only survive, but thrive in their careers. https://www.davidwiklanski.com/
Contributor & Social Media Administrator
SEAN WALSH is an EMT with North Stelton Fire Company EMS Division in Piscataway NJ for the last 9 years. He is also a Public Safety Telecommunicator with a county based agency in NJ for the last 4 years. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at Thomas Edison State College (NJ) in 2013.
Contributor
NICHOLAS WITCZAK is the 2nd Assistant Chief of Brookside Engine Co. 1 and volunteer EMT for the Mendham Township First Aid Squad. Additionally he serves as the Mendham Borough OEM Coordinator. Nick has served in a multitude of departments and positions over the last 8 years including Past Captain of Morristown Ambulance Squad, volunteer firefighter/EMT in combination fire departments including the Wallingford and Allingtown Connecticut fire departments. He has wealth of experience working and volunteering in emergency medical services including municipal, commercial, fire based EMS and 911 fire dispatching. He currently holds a B.S. in Fire Administration from the University of New Haven. Nick works full time in the fire protection industry specializing in safety, sales and project management. He works part time as the NJ Client Development Coordinator for Emergency Resource Management.
Outside of his emergency services background, he enjoys spending time with friends, playing golf, watching football and hockey.
Contributor
NICK BASKERVILLE Nick has had the honor of serving in the United States Air Force for 10 years, followed by 4 years in the United States Air Force Reserves. He attained the rank of Technical Sergeant (E-6). Nick also has 18 years of fire service time, with 15 years of that being in a career department in Northern Virginia. Nick has had
the opportunity to hold positions in the Company Officer's section of the Virginia Fire Chief's Association (VFCA), The Virginia Fire Officer's Academy (VFOA) staff, and as one of the IABPFF representatives to the Fire Service Occupational Cancer Alliance. Nick is one of the many trainers for Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) to offer awareness and prevention training about cancer in the fire service. Nick has the honor of being one of the many contributors for The Firehouse Tribune.
Nick is also a member of the public speaking organization Toastmasters. He holds an Advanced
Competent Bronze (ACB) certification. He also tells personal narrative stories that have been featured
on shows for The Moth, Better Said Than Done, and Storyfest Short Slam. Follow more about storytelling
and public speaking for purpose at Story Telling On Purpose (www.stop365.wordpress.com)
Dorie Griggs (via LinkedIn Profile)
After a career in various public relations and marketing positions in college and professional sports and the hospitality industry, Dorie L. Griggs attended Columbia Theological Seminary, where she earned her Master of Divinity degree in 2002.
During her final year at Columbia, Dorie developed a model of chaplaincy for journalists who cover traumatic events. She has served as a volunteer with the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, an organization founded by Dr. Frank Ochberg, MD. She is the Chaplain for the Roswell, GA Fire Department.
Her background in traumatic stress studies as well as being a Level II graduate of the Jeff Justice Comedy Workshoppe has helped her in her role as mother to 3 children: Nelson, a 2011 graduate of The Citadel, who recently left the Army as a captain in the U.S. Army, and is now working in Dallas, TX; Taylor the family comedian and bartender; and Chelle (pronounced Shelley) the actress of the family. Dorie is married to Stanley Leary, a freelance photographer.
For more about Dorie, visit https://dorielgriggs.com/about/