The events of September 11, 2001, were catastrophic and historic. Many of the events and activities that occurred that day were witnessed and experienced by only the few people who were involved. As the years went by following that tragic day, other events occurred involving the people and organizations who experienced September 11th themselves. Join FDNY Battalion Chief John Salka (ret) as he describes several of these events and the impact that they had on the people who lived them.
Keynote:
Battalion Chief John Salka, FDNY (Retired)
Battalion Chief John Salka, FDNY (Retired)
Join us Friday, June 11, 2026 as Chief Salka brings the keynote address titled “September 11th, 2001 Then & Now” at the Opening Ceremonies for Fire-Rescue.
Battalion Chief John Salka (ret.) is a 40-plus year veteran of the fire service. He served with the FDNY for over 33 years, the last 15 years a battalion chief in the 18th Battalion in the Bronx.
Chief Salka received the FDIC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. He has presented and lectured at FDIC International, where he received the 2001 FDIC Training Achievement Award for his “Get Out Alive” firefighter survival training program. He is a New York State certified fire instructor and lectures nationally. He is the co-host for the podcasts “The Command Post” heard on FireEngineering.com and “Old School” heard on iTunes.
He is the author of the best-selling books First In-Last Out: Leadership Lessons from the New York Fire Department, The Engine Company, and co-author of Five Alarm Leadership, published by Fire Engineering Books & Videos. He has served as a volunteer firefighter throughout his entire fire service career.
