- Dr. Kristen Wheldon (Psychologist-Board Chair and Founder of the Fire Service Psychology Association)
- Dr. Carla Moore (Psychologist)
- Dr. Burton Clark (Fire Service Leader)
- Shaun M. Wheldon (2nd Lieutenant United States Air Force)
- Dr. Gordon Wolf (Psychologist- Specialist in Pre-Employment/Fitness for Duty Evaluations)
- Dr. Thomas Joiner (Psychologist)
- Dr. Anne Bisek (Psychologist)
- Dr. Gina Dunckel (Psychologist)
- John K. Murphy, Esq.
DR. KRISTEN WHELDON
Board Chair/Founder
Dr. Wheldon is a licensed clinical psychologist (CA License#27027) who has a passion for the behavioral health of firefighters and their families.
She currently serves as the President and Founder of the Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA), a nonprofit which was created to bridge the gap between professional psychology and the fire service through providing continuing education courses to mental health providers, behavioral health trainings to departments, and collaborating on research to better understand the specific needs of firefighters and their families.
She sat on the Health and Safety Curriculum Review Committee for the National Fire Academy (NFA) and proposed the inclusion of behavioral health courses. Furthermore, she provided guest lectures to students in the NFA on the topic of, “Demystifying Psychology for the Fire Service.”
She currently serves as a NFA contract instructor for Health and Safety Program Operations courses. Dr. Wheldon previously worked for the Los Angeles Fire Department as their Director of Behavioral Health. In that role, she provided direct psychological services to firefighters and their families, managed and supervised the peer support and CISM teams, provided trainings on behavioral health topics, and supervised two doctoral psychology students.
As one of a few fire psychologists in the country, she recognized that firefighters do not have access to behavioral health care tailored to their specific needs and founded FSPA.
DR. BURTON CLARK
Executive Fire Officer
Dr. Burton A. Clark, Ed.D, EFO has been in the fire service for 48 years and counting! He started his career a firefighter in Washington, DC, and his career path took to Prince George’s County (Mary.), and Carroll County (Mary.),
His other fire service roles have included Assistant Fire Chief in Laurel, Maryland, the Management Science Program Chair and Executive Fire Officer Research Advisor at the National Fire Academy, an Operations Chief during national disasters and emergencies for the DHS/FEMA, an Instructor Trainer for the University of Maryland Fire Rescue Institute, an Expert Technical Reviewer for the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, and a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Injury Research and Policy. He serves on the doctoral research faculty at Oklahoma State, Benedictine, Northern Illinois, Grand Canyon, and Fielding Universities. In addition, he conducts lectures, workshops, and strategic planning for various educational and governmental organizations.
Burt has a BS is in Business Administration from Strayer University, MA in Curriculum & Instruction from Catholic University, and Ed.D. in Adult Education from Nova Southeastern University. He has served on 17 doctoral dissertation committees. He studied fire science at Montgomery College with Professor Frank Brannigan, Emergency Management at the Emergency Management Institute, National Security at the National Defense University, and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program.
He is a nationally certified Fire Officer Four, Chief Fire Officer Designee for nine years, and Eagle Scout Mentor. Burt writes, lectures, and teaches fire service research, safety, culture, and professional development worldwide.
He was married to the late Carolyn Smith-Clark, herself a well-respected National Fire Academy instructor. Together they had six children, 14 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. His first book is titled, “I Can’t Save You, And I Don’t Want to Die Trying: The American Fire Culture.” Premium Press America, Nashville, TN
Dr. Anne Bisek, Psy.D.
Board Member – Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA)
Dr. Anne Bisek, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist in Fremont, California. She graduated from the Wright Institute in 2004. Her dissertation was about three Urban Search and Rescue teams from California who were deployed to New York following the terrorist attack in 2001.
Dr. Bisek now has a private practice where she offers individual counseling (including EMDR) to firefighters, police officers, dispatchers/communications, pre-hospital personnel (EMTs, etc.) and military veterans.
When Dr. Bisek joined FSPA in 2018 she immediately recognized a unique group was forming. “The synergy between fire service personnel (chiefs, arson investigators, prevention and suppression) and psychologists is amazing to see. I witness both disciplines help each other solve problems, teach each other, and learn the other disciplines language.”