Deputy Chief Kenneth Pravetz Selected into the 2022 Fire Service Executive Development Institute

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (March 30, 2022) - The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) announced that Deputy Fire Chief Kenneth Pravetz of the Virginia Beach Fire Department has been accepted into the Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI). Chief Pravetz competed with new fire chiefs and chief officers from across the country and Canada to become a member of the 2022 cohort program.

Deputy Chief Pravetz has worked for Virginia Beach for 23 years. As he progressed through the ranks, Chief Pravetz held many challenging assignments. His current assignment is the Deputy Chief of Services responsible for personnel, finance, training, logistics, planning, and community risk reduction. As a member of the FEMA US&R system, Chief Pravetz has deployed to several National Disasters as a planning team member and task force leader.

Chief Pravetz holds an associate degree in fire science, a bachelor's degree in health and safety, and a Master of Public Administration Degree. In 2019, Chief Pravetz completed a master's degree in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

Chief Pravetz is very active in the fire service; he serves on three NFPA technical committees and the IAFC Terrorism and Homeland Security Committee. He also represents the IAFC on the Department of Homeland Security Emergency Services Sector Coordinating Council Executive Committee.

This is the tenth year that the Motorola Solutions Foundation has provided the IAFC with a grant to fund the program.

The Fire Service Executive Development Institute is a year-long leadership-development program. It was created and implemented by the IAFC to provide new and aspiring chiefs with the tools they need to have successful and productive tenures. The members of the cohort will meet four times in the coming year. One of the meetings will occur at the Fire-Rescue International conference in San Antonio, Texas. Between onsite sessions, the cohort group will communicate using an online community. They will meet for their first session at the Maritime Conference Center, Linthicum, MD, in the first week of April.

The IAFC's Fire Service Executive Development Program has become the premier career- and leadership-development program in the fire and rescue services thanks to the generous support of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. Numerous chief officers from the previous cohort programs have successfully achieved fire chief positions and served as an officer in several fire service organizations.

About the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
The IAFC represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide. IAFC members are the world's leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, and public safety legislation. Since 1973, the IAFC has provided a forum for its members to exchange ideas, develop professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders.

About Motorola Solutions Foundation
The Motorola Solutions Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions. With employees located around the globe, Motorola Solutions seeks to give back to the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships, and fostering innovation. The Motorola Solutions Foundation focuses its funding on public safety, disaster relief, employee giving and education, especially science, technology, engineering, and math programming. For more information on Motorola Solutions corporate and foundation giving, visit http://responsibility.motorolasolutions.com/

The Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI)
FSEDI is a program developed by the IAFC and funded by a grant from Motorola Solutions Foundation to provide new and aspiring chiefs with the tools they need to have a successful and productive tenure. After individual complete their yearlong program, they remain active members of FSEDI as part of an alumni.