FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact
Ed Comeau, Vision 20/20 Communications and Digital Media Manager
413-896-5718
ecomeau@strategicfire.org
Leadership change announced at The Vision 20/20 Project
Washington, DC (October 29, 2019) –Since its inception in 2007, The Vision 20/20 Project, a collaboration of leading national fire safety organizations, has been led by Project Manager Jim Crawford. During his tenure, Vision 20/20 has grown from a conceptual, grass-roots effort into a leader in the field of Community Risk Reduction and has served as a platform for bringing together individuals and organizations to focus on the complex issues of CRR. After 12 years of leading this project, Jim is retiring and, following a national search, Stephen Hrustich from Gwinnett County, Georgia will be assuming the role of Project Manager effective January 1, 2020.
Stephen has over 34 years of experience in the fire service, most recently as the Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal overseeing the Community Risk Reduction division of Gwinnett County Department of Emergency Services, and prior to that he was the fire chief of the Endicott and Johnson City Fire Departments in New York. Hrustich holds a master’s degree in Executive Fire Leadership and Emergency Management, is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program and is a credentialed Chief Fire Officer and Fire Marshal by the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
“The future for The Vision 20/20 Project is bright,” said Hrustich, “but this is only possible because of the incredible work that Jim did in bringing together people to focus on making CRR a major presence in the fire service. His leadership and vision is what made Vision 20/20 a reality and we are going to continue to build on his legacy and this strong foundation into the future.”
This transition is also an opportunity to evaluate the many accomplishments of the Project and to chart its future direction as part of our efforts towards continuous improvement. We will be undertaking a strategic planning process that will seek input from CRR practitioners and stakeholders from across the nation. This exercise will provide valuable insight into our goals of engagement and collaboration across a broad spectrum. The process will culminate in planning with Vision 20/20 Project’s Steering Committee to establish goals and a shared vision of our future.
The Vision 20/20 Project has a history of significant accomplishments, and most recently was awarded a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to hold the sixth National Model Performance in CRR Symposium (February 18-20, Murfreesboro, Tennessee), which has grown into a premier gathering of international experts to learn and share best practices in Community Risk Reduction. This Symposium is being done in partnership with a number of leading fire safety organizations, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Code Council, the International Fire Marshals Association, the International Fire Service Training Association, the National Fire Protection Association, and the United States Fire Administration. Other activities under this grant will include a continued focus on expanding the use of CRR in the fire service across the nation.
There are a number of free CRR resources available at The Vision 20/20 Project’s website including online training, a home safety visit app, a fire safety materials generator, CRR guides and the podcast series CRR Radio. All of this, and more, can be found at www.StrategicFire.org.
Vision 20/20 is a collaboration project of the Institution of Fire Engineers – USA Branch and is guided by a Steering Committee of national fire safety advocate organizations working with a network of experts and leaders from across the country. It focuses on addressing the gaps in fire prevention and promoting Community Risk Reduction by developing free tools and resources, and fostering an exchange of ideas about best practices. More information can be found at www.StrategicFire.org and on Twitter and Facebook @strategicfire.
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