October 3, 2019
During the General Session of the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) 86th Annual Validation Conference held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the 2019 Marvin Austin Distinguished Leadership Award was presented to Fire Protection Publications (FPP) Graphics Unit Manager (retired) Ann Moffat.
The Marvin Austin Distinguished Leadership Award is presented by the staff of Fire Protection Publications in recognition of outstanding leadership efforts in the IFSTA Validation Conference. The award is not presented every year, but only when the staff believes that there is someone worthy of this recognition.
Moffat was hired as the first fulltime artist at FPP on July 1, 1972. She holds a degree in Graphic Art from Oklahoma State University. She played an integral role in IFSTA/FPP’s evolution from hand-drawn charcoal art and linotype document construction to today’s electronic graphics and manual design. During her record 45 years at FPP, Ann was responsible for the final development of hundreds of manuals, curriculum products, advertising materials, and the signs and graphics needed to host the IFSTA Validation Conference and January Meetings. Ann’s fingerprints are on virtually every piece of printed material developed by IFSTA/FPP. She was also responsible for working directly with the various firms and agencies that performed the printing of the materials.
In her retirement, Ann’s legacy at FPP continues as her daughter, Heather Blankenship, remains on staff where she has been part of the Customer Service Unit for more than 18 years.
FPP Director Craig Hannan noted that “the quality of all the IFSTA and FPP materials developed in the last 45 years are a tribute to Ann’s talent and dedication to the organization. No one person had a greater impact on the organization’s image and impact than did Ann.”
IFSTA was established in 1934 with the mission to develop and validate training materials for the fire service and other emergency responders. IFSTA is an association that attracts the world’s leading experts who are dedicated to advancing firefighting and emergency response techniques and firefighter safety through validated training materials. Fire Protection Publications at Oklahoma State University, is the IFSTA headquarters, publishing and distributing the validated training texts and other materials that support firefighter and emergency responder teaching and learning.
