Division Chief Christopher Bator began his career in 1996 as a Firefighter Paramedic with the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Dept and in that time has risen to the rank of Division Chief assigned to the Safety and Health Division. Chief Bator also serves as a, Safety Officer, Instructor, and Chair of the Safety and Health Committee for the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Dept. Chief Bator has a AS degree in EMS and is a State of Florida Certified Paramedic, Live Fire Instructor, Instructor 2, Fire Officer 3, and Safety Officer. Captain Bator also received his Fire Officer Designation from the Center of Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Safety Program Operations and in his second year of the National Fire Academy’s Managing Officer Program. Chief Bator is a member of the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival section and the Fire Department Safety Officers Association. Chief Bator is also the recipient of Fire Officer of the Year in 2016 by the Broward County Fire Chiefs Association and Excellence Award by the City of Coral Springs in 2017.
Chief Bator is the President and co-founder of the Florida Firefighters Safety and Health Collaborative (FFSHC) a non-profit organization committed to bringing Florida’s Fire Service and Firefighter Safety and Health advocates together throughout the State to work together for the Safety and Health of Florida’s Firefighters. The FFSHC provides training, education, communication, networking and sharing of resources to enhance Fire Department Safety and Health programs to reduce the risk of injury or exposure to Florida’s Firefighters.
Chief Bator and the team from the FFSHC were highlighted on Ret. Captain Jeff Dills Fire Engineering Radio show, National Safety Stand Down www.safetyandhealthweek.com, Chief Billy Goldfeders www.firefighterclosecalls.com, and published articles in Florida Fire Service Magazine Nov 2016 edition, June 2017 eFire Engineering edition highlighting the Collaborative effort on both Firefighter Cancer & Safety Stand Down, article in June 2018 edition of Fire Engineering Magazine on Collaborating for Firefighter Safety and Health and Dec 2018 of Fire Engineering Magazine on the Clean Cab Concept.
Speaking engagements include Fire Rescue East Conference, Florida Fire Chiefs Executive Planning Conferance, Center of Public Safety Excellence Conference, Florida Fire Chiefs Health and Safety Conference, Sylvestor Cancer Center Firefighter Cancer Initiative at the University of Miami, EMS World, Pierce Annual Sales Conference, State of Florida Mental Health Symposium, Fire Rescue International, FEMSA/FAMA Conference, Orange County Fire Authority Behavioral Health Conference, TEEX Leadership Symposium and Virginia Fire Rescue Conference.
The FFSHC is the recipient of the Congressional Fire Service Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award 2019 and is the recipient of Broward County Fire Chiefs Association Mike Murphy Innovator of the Year award 2017.