About
Fire and emergency services executive whose career spans municipal command, career and volunteer fire operations, hospital and private EMS, national professional leadership, clinical improvement, education, and publishing.
Rom Duckworth leads a combination fire and EMS department while serving on the NAEMT Board of Directors and contributing to national trauma, sepsis, standards, conference, and editorial work.
The through line is building things that outlast the person who built them: workforce pipelines, officer development, clinical quality programs, governance controls, and practical education that turns evidence into field performance.
He is an author and textbook contributor with international reach and a continuing commitment to developing current and emerging emergency services leaders.
Municipal command
Fire Chief, Ridgefield Fire Department, Connecticut. 2025 to present.
Leads a combination career and volunteer fire and EMS department in a town of about 25,000, with a record 4,500+ emergency responses in 2025. The department has 39 career personnel and nearly 60 volunteers and runs ALS ambulance and paramedic engine operations. Co-oversees a 10-person emergency communications center with the Police Chief and manages the department’s operating and capital budgets.
- Staffing. Filled eight inherited firefighter vacancies, achieved full shift staffing, and rebuilt paramedic staffing to 15.
- Promotions and command. Designed and ran the department’s first assessment-center promotional process, restored a full officer complement, and established continuous chief-officer coverage.
- Career pathway. Built a credentialing and career pathway from recruit through officer preparation.
- Policy and accountability. Established Mission, Vision, and Values; Just Culture principles; policy-acknowledgment and controlled-substance accountability systems; and a single policy index for SOPs, General Orders, and department and Town policies.
- Data systems. Led the changeover from NFIRS to the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS), completed in December 2025 ahead of the national date, and collaborated to build the Town’s road closure reporting system.
- Clinical care and regional coordination. Revised the municipal EMS plan, joined a regional prehospital blood pilot, advanced point-of-care ultrasound and cardiac arrest care, and rebuilt regional mutual-aid coordination.
- Community risk reduction. Led the department’s community risk reduction work, including renewal of Ridgefield’s HeartSafe Community designation in 2026, a fourth consecutive American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold award in 2026, a free opioid overdose rescue kit program supported by the Western CT Coalition, and free monthly public hands-only CPR, opioid overdose response, and Stop the Bleed classes.
Career progression, Ridgefield Fire Department
Firefighter and paramedic in 1998. Acting officer and EMS coordinator in 2003. Lieutenant in 2008. Captain and shift commander in 2014. Fire chief in 2025.
- Helped develop the department’s in-house paramedic service, launched in 2000, and served as department EMS Coordinator from 2003 to 2025.
- Built in-house education, learning management, and clinical performance improvement systems that improved outcomes while lowering training costs.
- Built cardiac resuscitation quality systems associated with improved survival and American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline recognition, including EMS Gold four consecutive years, 2023 to 2026.
- Developed and leads the department’s Initiative for Best Practices in ALS resuscitation program, begun with the 2005 AHA guidelines rollout.
- Served as senior shift commander, technical rescue team coordinator, and acting chief officer under NIMS incident command.
Earlier and concurrent roles
Founder and Director, New England Center for Rescue & Emergency Medicine, LLC
2009 to present
An education, consulting, and professional development firm delivering fire, rescue, EMS, leadership, clinical, and instructor development programs to local, national, and international audiences. Developed Sepsis: First Response for Sepsis Alliance and authored Sepsis: Pediatric First Response for HHS BARDA DRIVe (2019).
Adjunct Instructor, Connecticut Fire Academy
2013 to present
Rescue and extrication programs. Taught three sessions at the 2026 Winter Fire School.
Adjunct Instructor, National Fire Academy, U.S. Fire Administration
2017 to 2023
Taught R0158 Emergency Medical Services: Quality Management (2017, 2019, and 2023) and R0389 Training and Professional Development Challenges for Fire and Emergency Services Leaders (2018). Presented at the 28th Executive Fire Officer Symposium in 2016.
Emergency Services Training Director and Clinical Paramedic, Danbury Hospital and Danbury Health Systems
1996 to 2009
Directed hospital-based EMS education, including ACLS, EMT, continuing education, and regional professional development, while working as a clinical paramedic in urban, suburban, and rural intercept settings. Served as liaison between the regional trauma, stroke, and cardiac center and western Connecticut EMS. Built the EMS Division’s learning management system, coordinated the first ACLS for Experienced Providers programs in the Connecticut and New York City regions, and coordinated the first Center for Domestic Preparedness (now FEMA) WMD training for Connecticut first responders in 2002.
Field Paramedic and Educator, American Medical Response, New Haven, Connecticut
1995 to 2000
Lead field paramedic in a high-volume private EMS system; taught ACLS, PALS, continuing education, and workforce development programs.
New Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department and Squantz Engine Company
1989 to present
Rose through operational and company leadership roles to Assistant Chief (1998 to 1999), the top Squantz Engine Company role; the company also ran Squantz Ambulance. Created the company’s first formal recruit training program and helped codify officer education and performance standards. Still on the roster and teaches monthly.
Executive Director, First Few Moments, Linthicum Heights, Maryland
2013 to 2016
An emergency services education nonprofit providing lifesaving care courses to rural and remote communities.
National leadership and professional service
- NAEMT Board
- Board of Directors, Northeast Region Director, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians 2023 to present Represents EMS practitioners across the Northeast on the national board.
- Lighthouse Leadership
- Chair, NAEMT Lighthouse Leadership Program 2024 to present Co-developed the program as a founding committee member and mentored its first cohort, the Class of 2022. His work on the program earned the 2021 NAEMT Presidential Leadership Award. Watch his Prodigy Talks interview about the program.
- Field training officers
- NAEMT Field Training Officer program In development, 2025 to present Co-developer of a new NAEMT program for EMS field training officers.
- Trauma systems
- NAEMT representative to the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and the Coalition for National Trauma Research 2023 to present
- Standards and federal
- Alternate member of the NFPA 1900 technical committee representing NAEMT (2024 to present). Subject matter expert, NHTSA Post Crash Care Trauma Expert Group, Quality Measures Project (2025), including the National EMS Quality Alliance motor vehicle crash workgroup. Contributor to the NREMT Longitudinal Inquiry into Fire and EMS (LIFE) study (2025 to present).
- Editorial and conference
- JEMS Advisory Board (since 2017); EMS1.com and FireRescue1.com advisory board (since 2020); Fire Engineering Advisory Board and Contributing Editor (since 2017); FDIC International advisory board and conference committees (since 2015); EMS Today Conference Advisory Board (since 2018). Reviewer, International Journal of Paramedicine.
- Sepsis
- Sepsis Alliance Advisory Board (since 2015) and The Sepsis Institute Medical Advisory Board (since 2020). Advisor to the development of the Sepsis Coordinators Network of the United States (2018).
- Stroke
- NorthEast Cerebrovascular Consortium (NECC) EMS research committee, in partnership with the American Stroke Association (2012 to 2018), specializing in prehospital stroke scales and scores. NECC keynote speaker (2015).
- Education advisory
- Jones & Bartlett Learning Public Safety Group advisory board and the NAEMT RECERT advisory committee; FISDAP education and research advisory board; National EMS Management Association accreditation committee (2017 to 2020).
- American Heart Association
- ACLS National Faculty (2002 to 2015, when the AHA eliminated the national faculty role); ACLS, PALS, and BLS Regional Faculty (through 2018); Connecticut Region Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee; QA/QI Chair, AHA Northeast Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee (2015 to 2018).
Research, standards, and advocacy
- Co-authorPrehospital Antibiotic Administration for Suspected Open Fractures: Joint COT/OTA/ACEP/NAEMSP/NAEMT Position StatementPrehospital Emergency Care · 2024
- Co-authorJoint ACS COT, AHA, ACEP, and NAEMT guidance on traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrestIn development
- Co-authorNational Association of EMS Educators position paper on sepsis educationPublished in JEMS · 2018
- TestimonyStroke systems of care, Connecticut General AssemblyTestified on including EMS in stroke systems of care (2014) and submitted testimony on recognizing stroke centers and stroke-ready hospitals (2017).
- InternationalAdvised UK fire services on adopting U.S. EMS response modelsHas taught for the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Trauma Care UK, Australian paramedic programs, and the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs.
Selected emergency management and major incidents
- Ridgefield, 2025 to 2026. Led Town emergency management functions during the Emergency Management Director’s absence, keeping grant, reporting, and planning requirements current, and onboarded the new director.
- Danbury, 2007. Medical Branch Director within the joint incident command for a cutaneous anthrax incident with two confirmed cases.
- TOPOFF 3 national-level WMD exercise, New London, 2005. Observer for Danbury Hospital.
- World Trade Center response, September 11 and 12, 2001. Led a Danbury Health Systems emergency response team at Ground Zero, coordinating with the New York State Office of Emergency Management. He reflected on that response 25 years later in ‘We’re still heading up’: The 9/11 lesson carried forward (EMS1, 2026).
- New Fairfield, 1994. Treatment Officer for a 111-patient school bus collision.
- Hurricane Andrew relief, South Florida, 1992. Volunteer EMS.
Degrees
- 2022
- Master of Public Administration · Anna Maria College
- 2022
- Executive Fire Officer Program, graduate · National Fire Academy
- 2016
- BS with Honors, Public Safety Administration · Charter Oak State College
Certifications
- CFO
- Chief Fire Officer · Center for Public Safety Excellence
- CEMSO
- Chief EMS Officer · Center for Public Safety Excellence
- EFO
- Executive Fire Officer · National Fire Academy
- NRP
- Nationally Registered Paramedic; Connecticut licensed paramedic
- Instr.
- Fire Service Instructor III, Connecticut EMS Instructor, APCO instructor
- AHA
- ACLS for Experienced Providers, PALS, and BLS instructor
Honors and awards
- 2023
- Star of Life, Unit Citation, and Education awards · Ridgefield Fire Department
- 2021
- Presidential Leadership Award, for contributions to the EMS Lighthouse Leadership Mentor Program · NAEMT
- 2019
- Lifetime Achievement Award · Danbury Hospital EMS Recognition Dinner
- 2019
- EMS Service of the Year, a department award earned while he was EMS Coordinator · Danbury Hospital
- 2019
- EMS10: Innovators in EMS, 2018 class, for a free online sepsis module built with Sepsis Alliance · JEMS and EMS Today
- 2018
- Two Platinum MarCom Awards to Sepsis Alliance for Sepsis: First Response, which he developed · MarCom
- 2015
- Sepsis Hero · Sepsis Alliance
- 2015
- Recognition for service as ACLS National Faculty for Connecticut and on the Connecticut and Northeast Emergency Cardiovascular Care committees · American Heart Association
- 2014
- Christopher Blackwell Dedication to Service Award · Danbury Hospital EMS System
- 2013
- Recognition and thanks for presenting at the association's symposium · Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association
- 2011
- Regional Educator of the Year, also awarded 2005 and 2003 · Danbury Hospital EMS
- 2010
- Unit Citation, team member · Ridgefield Fire Department
- 2009
- Hero Award for Professional Achievement · American Red Cross
- 2009
- Public Leadership Citation · State of Connecticut
- 2001
- Special Service Award, September 11 response · BSI EMS
- 1994
- Special Service Award · Squantz Engine Company, New Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department
A note on roles
Rom Duckworth holds two separate roles. He serves as a municipal fire chief, and he independently owns and directs the New England Center for Rescue & Emergency Medicine, LLC.
Education, consulting, and speaking work described on this site is delivered through the LLC. It is not municipal work, is not offered on behalf of any department or association, and does not draw on municipal resources.
Independent services. The education, speaking, writing, and consulting described on this site are Rommie L. Duckworth’s own professional work, provided personally or through the New England Center for Rescue & Emergency Medicine, LLC. They are separate and distinct from his municipal position and from his work for any other employer, company, association, board, or publisher. They are not offered by, for, or on behalf of the Town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, the Ridgefield Fire Department, or any other organization named here. No NECREM work is done on Town time or with Town equipment, vehicles, or staff. Titles, affiliations, and photos in uniform describe professional background only, and views expressed are his own. Naming an organization does not indicate its endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation.