Yearbook photo

Yearbook name: Edward P. Plaugher

Brief bio:
Chief (Ret) Ed Plaugher began his career in the fire service as a volunteer firefighter while in high school.  After serving 24 years with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department career service and retiring as a Deputy Fire Chief, Ed was appointed to the position of Fire Chief, Arlington County Fire Department, Arlington, Virginia, a position he held until his retirement in June 2004. In April of 2006, Ed was hired as the Director of National Programs for the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), where he retired as Assistant Executive Director in January of 2013. Chief Plaugher’s career spans more than 40 years as a fire service professional.

Chief Plaugher is a Past President of the State Fire Chiefs Association of Virginia. He is a life member of both the IAFC and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). As a member of those associations, he served on both national fire code and terrorism committees. Chief Plaugher was a member of the Emergency Response Senior Advisory Committee (ERSAC) of the Homeland Security Council (HSC), Department of Homeland Security, and also served as a special advisor to the Defense Science Board for the Department of Defense.  He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Administration and Technology from George Mason University and completed the Executive Fire Officers course at the National Fire Academy. Chief Plaugher also served for over twenty years as an instructor at the Northern Virginia Community College Fire Science Program. During that same period, Ed was also an adjunct faculty member and course developer for the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He has contributed sections to the Industrial Fire Hazards Handbook and the Fire Protection Handbook, both published by the National Fire Protection Association.  He recently contributed to the “Smart Firefighting” handbook published by the NFPA Research Foundation.

Chief Plaugher directed the regional terrorism preparedness efforts for the National Capital Region as Chair of the Council of Governments (MWCOG), Fire Chiefs Terrorism Committee, and he was the Executive Agent for the nation’s first Metropolitan Medical Strike Team. On September 11th, 2001, Chief Plaugher led Arlington County’s response efforts to the terrorist attack at the Pentagon. Arlington’s Fire Department coordinated and led the local, regional, state and Federal response to the incident. At the IAFC annual meeting in August of 2004, Chief Plaugher was named “Career Fire Chief of the Year” by Fire Chiefs Magazine. Ed is currently the Chair of NFPA 950; Standard for Data Exchange for the Fire Service and NFPA 951; Guide to Building and Utilizing Digital Information committees. In addition, he is working with the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation (NFFF) on a guide to assist departments in the change process to implement the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives, with a focus on combination and Volunteer departments.