Expanded Command Workshop- From Engine 1 to the EOC
September 30 – October 1, 2025
Workshop Description
This newly updated two-day workshop will demonstrate how to effectively maximize the Blue Card system far beyond the first alarm. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to integrate various Blue Card support roles to manage large, complex emergencies that could last several days and involve multiple agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.
During this workshop, participants will actively learn how to expand Blue Card command and control capabilities during escalating incidents, including a deep understanding of how to integrate the use of the Support Officer, the Senior Advisor, the Logistics Section, and the embedded Safety Section into the command post. Additionally, participants will learn how to leverage the critical connection between their local or state Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the expanded incident command team.
Meet the Instructors
Timm Schabbel, Fire Chief (ret.), Clay Fire Territory (Ind.)
Timm Schabbel has served in the fire service since 1985, including over 25 years as fire chief of the Clay Fire Territory, an internationally accredited department near the University of Notre Dame.
Chief Schabbel holds a master’s in organizational leadership and a bachelor’s in fire service management. He also earned an Executive Certificate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School, completed the Executive Leaders Program at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, and attended Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative.
In 2007, Schabbel was recognized as Indiana’s first “Fire Chief of the Year” by the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association. He received the Gary Briese Safety Performance Award from the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Safety and Survival Section in 2008, the IAFC Great Lakes Division President’s Award in 2021, and the Indiana State Fire Marshals’ Meritorious Medal of Service in 2024. Upon his retirement from Clay Fire in the spring of 2024, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb awarded Timm the Sagamore of the Wabash, the state’s highest honor for distinguished Hoosiers.
Timm continues to serve as a Blue Card lead instructor and remains active on various fire service boards and committees. He lives in South Bend, Ind., with his wife Jennifer, known as “Jen from Blue Card,” spending as much time as possible boating on Lake Michigan.
Kevin Alexander, District Chief, Houston (Texas) Fire Department
Kevin Alexander is an experienced fire professional, boasting a 30-year tenure in the field. Kevin is currently the District Chief at Station 28 with the Houston Fire Department after previously being appointed to the position of Assistant Fire Chief of Professional Development for seven years. Prior to being on command staff, he served as Captain of Training at the Houston Fire Training Academy for approximately a decade and simultaneously taught Fire Technology courses at Houston Community College. Kevin finds joy in educating others about fire ground operations and takes pride in his role as a lead instructor with Blue Card, allowing him to share his passion for the fire service. Kevin is a Houston, Texas native and currently resides in Northwest Houston with his family