Leadership

Al H Gillespie – President, Public Safety Broadband Technology Association

Chief  Al H Gillespie served the fire service for almost 40 years, including 15 years as the Fire Chief of three large city fire departments. He also served as the Interim Executive Chief of East County Fire and Rescue. Chief Gillespie served as the President of the International Association of Chiefs (IAFC) 2011-12 and, as all past IAFC Presidents, serves on the President’s Council. During his tenure as President, he was instrumental in helping the fire service and all public safety, through Congress, acquire the D-Block bandwidth. Chief Gillespie serves as the Principal of Executive Fire Consultants working with a major multi-national communications company and on firefighter health and safety issues.

Al was a key participant with the Public Safety Alliance representing the fire service on a number of key issue in Washington D.C. during his term as President and Board Member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Al has a bachelor’s degree in fire services administration from Eastern Oregon University and has a Fellowship for Harvard University. He is a Graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officers Program and has been an instructor in the program.

Richard A. Mirgon – Vice President, Treasurer, Public Safety Broadband Technology Association

Richard Mirgon, a founding member of the Public Safety Alliance, which was responsible for the reallocation for the “D block” broadband spectrum and the legislation that created FirstNet. Richard has over 30 years of public safety experience with the last 20 years in the public safety technology field. After retiring from government service in 2009 he has been providing consulting service to the private sector, as well as state and local government. He is a Past President for the Association of Public Safety Officials International (APCO). He is currently the co-owner of Next Paradigm Consulting, LLC and Richard Mirgon Consulting LLC with his wife Shari.

Richard has participated in several national and statewide activities to include the FCC’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, SAFECOM Executive Committee, and the Commercial Mobile Alerting Services Committee. In December of 1999 he was appointed by Governor Guinn to the State Emergency Response Commission and served as Co-Chair from March 2001 until March of 2006. Additionally, he served as Co-Chair of the WMD/Homeland Security Steering Committee from 1999 thru the fall of 2003.

Richard holds a BA in Political Science and Public Administration.

John Paul Jones – Executive Director, Public Safety Broadband Technology Association

Chief John Paul Jones served in the fire service for 34 years including over 12 years as Fire Chief. As Fire Chief of the Kansas City Kansas Fire Department, Chief Jones was responsible for all department operational and administrative divisions (Administration, Fire Operations, EMS, Training, Special Operations, Logistics, Community Risk Reduction, Dispatch Communications, Fire Investigation, Fiscal Analysis, Apparatus Maintenance/Supply) and their performance involving, fire suppression response, fire-based EMS service delivery and all aspects of risk management.

Chief Jones’ initiatives played a vital role in ushering in a new era/use of technology, including mobile-data communications and administrative records management systems development. Chief Jones served as Co-Chair of the Policy Committee for the Kansas City Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Committee for the Kansas City region (Mid-America Regional Council, 9 counties, 119 municipalities) for many years. The RHSCC policy committee was tasked with administrative coordination and distribution of Homeland Security funds disbursement and collaborative/interoperable training efforts, Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) sustainment programs, Special Operations, Search & Rescue Task Forces, and other policy initiatives such as his co-authoring of the Regional Active Shooter Protocol for the Kansas City Region. Chief Jones continued to provide professional administrative services (post retirement) in regard to fire service and EMS expertise for several departments and fire service organizations for Fire and EMS deployment model development and communication’s plans after retiring from the KCKFD in 2018. He is a member of numerous state and national associations and professional organizations. Throughout his career experiences, Chief Jones has served in multiple roles through executive leadership in both administrative and operational management and as a professional consultant, has played a key role as a liaison and advocate for public safety communication’s interests, initiatives and innovations.

Chief Jones served as President of the Missouri Valley Division of the IAFC, covering 8 states and served on the historic working group committee regarding future governance of the IAFC in an effort to increase collaboration and communication between all Divisions and Sections. In addition, he served in multiple capacities for the Kansas State Fire Chiefs including legislative activities and has been instrumental in authoring legislation on their behalf. Chief Jones was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Kansas Fire Service Training Commission where he served in that role for over 5 years.

Chief Jones’ educational background includes a Master of Science in Fire Administration and Emergency Management from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University (along with numerous other Fire Service, EMS and Emergency Management certifications, courses and curriculum and has served as a fire service educator throughout his career).

Michael A. Barnbeck – Deputy Director, Public Safety Broadband Technology Association

Michael Barnbeck is a retired Police Supervisor for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who began his career in 1992. As an established Public Safety Professional, his career has spanned a wide-range of experiences and accomplishments. Ranging from “Beat Officer” to Bureau Commander, Michael has served in key positions in numerous organizations including as First Vice President of Nevada APCO, Chairman of the National APCO Cyber Security Committee, as a public safety communications/technology consultant for many local and regional agencies including FirstNet, FBI, FCC and other state entities, and as a keynote speaker for many high-powered public safety engagements.

Michael was appointed by the Governor of Nevada as Co-Chair of Nevada’s Public Safety Communications Committee. He has negotiated, managed and implemented over $200 million worth of contracts including software/manufacturing, third party resellers, managed services contracts, and a variety of international transactions, along with state and local government purchase agreements and acquisition.

Mike Barnbeck is a transformational leader with a proven history such as delivering approximately $140 million dollars of fiscal efficiency and value-added benefits through end-to-end operational improvements. Michael is an accomplished and energetic professional who brings core business functions to a shared public safety vision in maximizing brand imaging. He has established himself as the consummate professional with over 25 years of public safety experience.

Michael Barnbeck is a motivated people manager who brings to the PSBTA a strong repertoire of analytical, organizational and problem-solving skills all through a commitment to excellence.

Michael’s most important part of life outside of public safety is his family and volunteering for Church World Services and Senior Solutions of Guilford County, within his home community of Greensboro, North Carolina.