John Alston is a 40-year veteran of Emergency Management. He is a certified Executive Coach, Trainer, and Behavioral Analyst. As a First Responder to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, where he served as a frontline heavy rescue technician, John witnessed leadership and courage on a grand scale, which impacted his life forever.

For the last seven years, John has served as the Fire Chief of the New Haven Fire Department. John is a retired Jersey City Fire Department member, having spent over 31 years there. John spent ten years in the Heavy Rescue Company as an innovative member. He also held the positions of Deputy Chief of Special Operations, Chief of Training, and Chief of Staff. As a former Master Instructor for the International Association of Fire Fighters, John trained hundreds of firefighters, fire officers, and first responders nationwide. He is the former Operations Director and Chair of Curriculum for the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute, where he trained and coached hundreds of Emergency Management Officers to become Executive Officers. John has been blessed to travel and train all over the world.

John is currently the Executive Director of the Fire Officer Trust, where he coaches Business Leaders, First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and Emergency Management Leaders in their command roles and responsibilities during large-scale emergencies. His services have now extended to other agencies, organizations, leaders, and managers to aid and support their team-building initiatives. His specialty is to help individuals and teams focus on their personal and professional growth.

John is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist on a variety of topics, from Leadership, Diversity and Emergency Management to Response to the Opioid Crisis.

In the arena of leadership, Alston sets himself apart, by focusing on people, before the problem.