During the war years, Dr. Denis Onieal spent 15 years as a firefighter, lieutenant and captain in two of the busiest ladder companies in Jersey City. He rose through the Battalion and Deputy Chief ranks spending his entire time in the street as a line officer. His final tour as Chief of Department was spent dealing with the challenges of ‘old city politics’ - Jersey City, New Jersey wrote that book.

He was appointed the first career Superintendent of the National Fire Academy (NFA), after years of politically appointed and temporary / acting superintendents. The organization was filled with talented people, longing for stability and a clear direction. In a few short years, that NFA staff accomplished some remarkable goals:

• Increased enrollments from 15,000 to over 100,000 students
• Completely revised all curriculums so that each course received undergraduate or graduate credit recommendation through the American Council on Education
• Established a national training system with all 50 State Fire Training academies into full partnership with the NFA
• Instituted and alliance with over 110 associate and bachelor’s degree programs to standardize the curriculum in fire degree programs
• Built a robust on-line / distance learning curriculum and delivery system. The on-line courses were strong enough that all receive college credit recommendation.

He was appointed Deputy US Fire Administrator, the senior career federal fire official in the country - responsible for the day-to-day operation of the United States Fire Administration (USFA). The training of over 100,000 first responders at and through the National Fire Academy; the management of National Fire Incident Reporting System, documenting and analyzing 28 million fire department emergency responses a year; the USFA’s fire prevention, public information and public education programs; and the 26 campus buildings and the grounds at the historic National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He participated in numerous policy meetings at the White House, Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has testified before Congress.

Beginning on Sept. 12, 2001, he led the USFA’s team at the World Trade Center, working behind the scenes to help the New York City Fire Department re-establish their systems of command, control and on-site communications. In 2005, he was sent to Atlanta, Georgia, to lead the in-processing, training and dispatch of 4,000 firefighters to assist in the response to Hurricane Katrina. For more than 20 years, he served in leadership roles in almost every national disaster.

He is the recipient of the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Medal for Exceptional Service; the Congressional Fire Services Institute Mason Lankford Leadership Award; the North American Fire Training Director’s Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Association of Fire Chiefs President’s Award for Outstanding Leadership; the James O. Page EMS Achievement Award for Exemplary Leadership; the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs President’s Award of Distinction; the Dr. John Granito Award for Excellence in Fire Leadership and Management Research; the IFSTA Everett Hudiburg Award; the Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award; and the Firehouse Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award.

He is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He serves on the Board of Directors for the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Wellspan Health.

To book a keynote or a workshop in any of these topics,
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