2026 Annual Conference: Chiefs' Issues

Friday, October 16th, 8:00 am - 11:30 am | Morning Session

Leading Through Tragedy: Preparing Your Fire Department for the Unexpected
BJ Jungmann, Fire Chief, and Neal Dwyer, Assistant Chief, Burnsville

Session Description

This leadership course draws on the lessons learned from the tragedy of February 18, 2024, where the city of Burnsville lost the lives of a firefighter/paramedic and two police officers in the line of duty, and another officer was injured. The class is designed to equip fire chiefs and emergency service leaders with the knowledge and strategies needed to prepare their organizations for the possibility of a similar tragedy.

Participants will explore critical preparedness measures, including building resilience, communication protocols, interdepartmental coordination, and support systems for personnel and families affected by loss or injury. The course emphasizes proactive planning to strengthen organizational cohesion and community trust during times of crisis. Leaders will leave with actionable steps to foster a culture of preparedness, care, and leadership that can guide their teams through the most challenging moments with strength and compassion.

BJ Jungmann is currently the Fire Chief for the City of Burnsville, which is a suburban all-career fire and EMS agency just outside of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. Chief Jungmann has had the fortune to work throughout his career in many different roles, starting as a volunteer firefighter, EMT, dispatcher, paramedic, fire captain, training officer, assistant chief, and now fire chief. He is fortunate to be the Fire Chief of one of only a few career fire departments in Minnesota and has a great staff that is striving to increase their professionalism. Chief Jungmann has worked in both hospital-based EMS and local government fire-based EMS. He has a passion for learning, he currently holds a master’s degree from Hamline University in Public Administration, has completed the Executive Fire Officer Program through the National Fire Academy, and is a Credentialed Chief Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Chief Jungmann is a student of the profession who strives to learn and grow from each experience. He is engaged at the local and state levels with organizations to advance both the fire and EMS professions. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Public Administration. Chief Jungmann currently serves as the International Director of the Great Lakes Division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.  He also works as a Senior Consultant at Fitch and Associates and has taught classes at a number of different institutions, including the National Fire Academy.

Neal Dwyer serves as the Assistant Chief of Professional Standards with the Burnsville Fire Department, an all-career suburban fire and EMS agency located just outside Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. In this role, he oversees Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance operations and helps guide the department’s training program. With more than two decades in public safety, he brings a broad range of experience and remains focused on supporting consistent, high-quality service and preparedness across the organization. Neal began his public safety career in 2002 and has served in several capacities, including with a county search and rescue squad, volunteer fire department, private rural EMS, as a county 911 dispatcher, and as a corrections officer. He has also spent the last 18 years working in a career fire department, where he has contributed to both daily operations and the development of personnel. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration from Columbia Southern University. In addition to his work with the department, Neal is an instructor for the ALERRT Active Attack Integrated Response program and is a private contractor in public safety training/education consulting and instructing