The Firehouse Yak: Victor Stagnaro - Leading the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
Peter Matthews talks with Victor Stagnaro talks about taking over the CEO role at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which he assumed last year, after more than two decades of having Ron Siarnicki create and lead the organization tapped to honor America’s fallen firefighters while taking care of their survivors.
Stagnaro highlights several of the programs that NFFF offers, including the annual Fallen Firefighter Memorial Weekend, training programs aimed to prevent firefighter deaths, injuries and provide mental health support while offering peer-to-peer support for LODD incidents. For the families of those who have died, and their organizations, Stagnaro looks at the memorable and meaning impacts they have on survivors.
They discuss what the NFFF is working on today, what to expect from the 20th anniversary of the Firefighter Life Safety Summit and how firefighters can get involved with them. Whether it’s supporting or organizing a stair climb, attending training or working at the annual memorial weekend, Stagnaro shares how each level of involvement humbles firefighters.
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.
Victor Stagnaro | For Firehouse.com
Victor Stagnaro joined the Foundation staff in 2010 and serves as the Director of Fire Service Programs, which includes the Everyone Goes Home®, and the Local Assistance State Teams. He has over 25 years of experience in the fire service. He was hired by the Prince George's County Fire/Emergency Medical Services Department in 1985. In addition to serving as a firefighter and station officer, he has been a fire instructor, Public Information Officer, Battalion Chief, Executive Officer to the Fire Chief, Fire Marshal, and Operations Shift Chief. Victor authored a chapter in Fire Engineering's Handbook for Firefighter I and II on EMS in the Fire Service. He retired as the Deputy Chief of Emergency Operations in early 2010. He has been involved with the Foundation dating back to 1998, when he served as the Incident Commander for the Memorial Weekend for several years and assisted with the New York Response Team on 9/11. Victor and his family reside in Annapolis, Maryland.
