Chief Keith Bryant, Oklahoma State Fire Marshal, was awarded the Everett E. Hudiburg Memorial Award during the International Fire Service Training Association’s 88th Annual Validation Conference in July 2021.
Chief Bryant joined the Oklahoma City Fire Department in 1982 after serving as a U.S. Army firefighter/crash rescue specialist for four years. He also served as a firefighter for a short time with the Edmond (OK) Fire Department. He promoted through the ranks of the OCFD, serving in many critical roles along the way. These positions included district/battalion chief, chief training officer, battalion chief of operations and deputy chief of operations. Chief Bryant was appointed fire chief of the OCFD in 2005.
During his 35 years with the OCFD, Chief Bryant was involved in innovative training for special operations. He was a member of the Underwater Rescue and Recovery Team, Hazardous Materials Response Team and the Critical Incident Stress Management Team. He responded to many significant incidents, including the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995, as well as two EF-5 tornados in 1999 and 2013. Throughout his career, he has been a strong supporter of IFSTA and committed to training at the local, state and national levels of the fire service.
Chief Bryant retired from the OCFD in 2017 to accept appointment to the position of United States Fire Administrator. In addition to many other responsibilities, he oversaw the National Fire Academy. This took his role in the training and education of firefighters and fire officers to a new level, with an expanded impact nationwide.
On May 1, 2021, Chief Bryant was appointed as the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal. Additionally, Chief Bryant is a past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association and the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association. He has served on the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Advisory Committee and later as a member of their board of directors.
Chief Bryant has been recognized with many awards throughout his fire service career. He received the OCFD Chief Officer of the Year Award in 2001. The OFCA selected him as the recipient of the J. Ray Pence Chief Officer Leadership Award in 2010. The MFCA designated him as the 2014 Fire Chief of the Year and he received their 2016 President’s Award of Distinction.
The Everett E. Hudiburg Award is the highest honor IFSTA may bestow to an individual who has made significant contributions to the training of firefighters.
The International Fire Service Training Association is an organization of fire service personnel who are dedicated to upgrading firefighting techniques and safety through training. Since 1934, IFSTA has been the worldwide leader of the fire service in developing fire and emergency responder training materials. IFSTA produces training manuals, eBooks, curriculum, test prep, workbooks, skill sheets, interactive courses, instructor resources and more.
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