Brian Bender is a seasoned firefighter with over 15+ years of dedicated service in the fire service. He got is start in the fire service as a paid-on-call firefighter in a small farm town in Michigan, where he developed a passion for the fire service and chose to make it a career. Currently, Brian serves as a Lieutenant assigned to a ladder company within a large metropolitan fire department in Northern Virginia.
In addition to his field duties, Brian is an adjunct instructor for his department’s Field Training Division. He is also a live fire instructor and serves as the Lead Instructor for his department’s Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) program. His expertise in these areas
has made him a valuable resource in enhancing the department's operational readiness and safety practices.
Brian's contributions extend to the department's Basic Training Section, where he was instrumental in developing and updating the curriculum to incorporate reality-based training theories, ensuring a more practical and realistic approach to firefighting
education.
Additionally, Brian has served as both Lead Instructor and Operations Director for Virginia Fire Rescue's hands-on training programs, where he has further refined his teaching abilities and helped improve firefighter training across the state.
Brian's passion for continuous improvement and training excellence has positioned him as a respected figure in the fire service community, and he remains dedicated to advancing firefighter safety and effectiveness.