Milwaukee WAS THE PLACE TO BE IN 2023
IFBA 70th Anniversary Convention
AUGUST 14, 2023 - AUGUST 17, 2023
Our Team
Our History
Our History
Our amazing Convention Planning Team of 14 Members of the Milwaukee Fire Bell Club are dedicated to insuring that you have a fabulous time in Milwaukee.
Our History
Our History
Our History
The Milwaukee Fire Bell Club, a nonprofit organization was formed back in 1947 to provide civilian support to the Milwaukee Fire Department. In 1953 it was instrumental in the founding of the International Fire Buff Associates.
Every 10 years, in honor of the founding of the IFBA, we host an anniversary convention.
Our Mission
Our History
Our Mission
We focus on making the maximum positive experience for our convention attendees. Our club members and all volunteers, provide the driving force behind the success of the 2023 convention.
Site Content
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Here's a drafted schedule of events to look forward too.
Convention FAQs
Schedule of Events
Places to See in MKE
Have questions about the convention? We have answers. Click the link below to find out more.
Places to See in MKE
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 24TH
Places to See in MKE
Milwaukee has so much to offer. Here are just a few places to visit while you enjoy your stay in Milwaukee.
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 24TH
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 24TH
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 24TH
Deadline extended to July 24th Use PayPal to pay for your ad book purchase.
Use v.mokros@ifba2023convention.com when you pay at PayPal.
The Milwaukee Fire Bell Club
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 24TH
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 24TH
Click below to access our website and learn more about our club and our mission.
Announcements
Additional Information
CONVENTION REGISTRATION before June 1st, 2023 $289.00 (US FUNDS ONLY) (After June 1st full registration is $350) Scan QR code to pay with PayPal.
Make your HOTEL RESERVATIONS at the CONVENTION RATE OF $149 PER NIGHT + TAX: You must make your reservations on your own through the hotel website link.
Click the image to read an article about Milwaukee being the "Place to be in 2023."
Meet our Convention planning Team
Vickie
Vickie
Vickie
* 2023 IFBA Convention Committee Chairperson
* IFBA 2023 Second Vice President
MFBC Member Since 2013
Former IFBA President, Region 6 Vice President
Bill
Vickie
Vickie
* Advisory Committee
*Media / Website Committee
MFBC Member
Former IFBA Executive Vice President, President, Region 6 Vice President
Chuck
Chuck
Chuck
* Advisory Committee
MFBC Member Since 1984
Former IFBA President
Nick
Chuck
Chuck
* Advisory Committee
MFBC Member Since 1997
Meet the rest of our team
Bob
Ashley
Tanya
* 2023 IFBA Convention President
* Sponsors, Ad Book Committee
MFBC Member since 2001
Former IFBA Region 6 VP
Tanya
Ashley
Tanya
* Sponsors, Ad Book Committee
* Media / Website Committee
MFBC Member since 2020
Ashley
Ashley
Ashley
* Sponsors, Ad Book Committee
MFBC Member since 2018
Bob
Eddie
Ashley
* Sponsors, Ad Book Committee
MFBC Member Since 1986
Eddie
Eddie
Eddie
* Sponsors, Ad Book Committee
MFBC Member Since 2008
Tim
Eddie
Eddie
*Publicity Committee
MFBC Member Since 2018
Kristian
Kristian
Kristian
*Publicity Committee
MFBC Member Since 2015
Chris
Kristian
Kristian
*Treasurer
MFBC Member Since 1972
Gary
Kristian
Gary
*Fire Department Liaison
MFBC Member Since 2008
Retired Chief of Greendale FD
Ron
Ron
Gary
*Fire Department Liaison
MFBC Member Since 1998
Dan
Ron
Dan
*Fire Department Liaison
MFD Battalion Chief
MFBC Member 1998
Photo Gallery
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About our speakers
Wayne Mutza
“Wayne Mutza’s early disability retirement from the Milwaukee Fire Department led him down many roads, one of which led to a writing career. Immersed in the profession and having a profound interest in fire service history, he produced a number of books devoted to the Milwaukee Fire Department, and various aspects of the fire service. Publishers recognized his writing talents in books that include his memoir, a collection of stories from fellow firefighters and paramedics, and books covering fireboats and apparatus. His most recent writing successes include a detailed history of Milwaukee’s apparatus and a large volume devoted to the history of the U.S. Air Force Air Rescue Service. One of his three books in progress is devoted to ‘big water’ fire apparatus. As a member of the Milwaukee Fire Department,Wayne served as a firefighter/EMT, instructor, and company officer. Wayne’s favored assignments were busy engine and ladder companies. He lives with his wife Debra and their dog Luna in Brookfield, Wisconsin.” .
Chief of Department, Aaron Lipski
Fire Chief Lipski has served the City of Milwaukee for 26 years. Joining the Milwaukee Fire Department in 1997 (in the same recruit class as his older brother, Daniel), Lipski is a 4 th -generation Milwaukee Firefighter.
Prior to joining, he served for several years as an EMT-Basic with an urban
private ambulance service. Lipski holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications, minoring in Africology and a master’s degree in Public Administration, both from the University of Wisconsin –
Milwaukee.
Lipski has filled every rank, rising from Firefighter to Heavy Equipment Operator, then on to the company officer positions of Lieutenant and then Captain. Appointed to Battalion Chief in 2010,
Lipski covered operational Battalions prior to being tasked with running the department’s Division of
Construction and Maintenance, responsible for overseeing the department’s catalogue of facilities, all
equipment and purchasing, and the entire fleet. Following this, Lipski was assigned as a Deputy Chief to the city-wide commander role. Filling this role for six and a half years, Lipski expanded the
footprint and operational efficiencies of the office.
In his time as a Battalion Chief, Lipski initiated a series of familiarization exercises with all neighboring
fire departments, with whom there had been very little interaction and frosty relationships for decades. As a Deputy Chief, this evolved into a positive and productive shared services initiative
which now has a team of true partners across all jurisdictions throughout Milwaukee County.
This initiative has been a paradigm shift in the provision of fire and EMS services for all involved.
In 2019, Lipski was promoted to Assistant Chief, overseeing the department’s Support Bureau,
responsible for all budget and finance concerns, dealing with elected and the Fire & Police Commission, labor relations, investigations and discipline, all technical services and dispatch, as well as fleet and facilities. In late 2020, Lipski was approved to be the Acting Fire Chief for the Milwaukee Fire Department. Lipski was sworn in as the Fire Chief in June of 2021.
Chief Lipski also trains fire departments and tunnel and mine contractors nationwide to field Mine
Safety and Health Administration-compliant rescue teams. Additionally, Lipski has been a fire instructor for the Waukesha County Technical College Protective Services program for eight years.
He recently completed his time with the 2021 cohort of the International Association of Fire Chief’s
Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI).
Lipski is the past Chair of the American Lung Association’s Local Leadership Board in Wisconsin as well as current Chair of the Milwaukee County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (MCSAP). He sits on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross of Southeast Wisconsin. Additionally, he is
the 2 nd Vice-President of the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association and the Vice-President of the
Milwaukee County Fire Chiefs Association. Happily married to his wife of 23 years, Krista, they enjoy
spending time together, traveling to watch their daughter, Bella, play with her club volleyball team around the nation.
"I am not here for me, I am here for we, And we are here for them."
JOHN DRENGENBERG Consumer Safety Director
John Drengenberg is Consumer Safety Director at Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL),
an independent testing and certification organization.
John’s primary role at UL is focused on heightened consumer awareness of safety issues
and of UL’s role in consumer safety. His responsibilities included chairing UL’s
Consumer Advisory Council and co-chairing the Chicago Consumer Sounding Board.
John also serves as UL’s spokesman and has been quoted in numerous newspaper and
magazine articles as well as appearing on many radio and television programs.
Mr. Drengenberg holds a degree in electrical engineering from the University of
Wisconsin and a masters degree in management from Northwestern University. He is
also a registered professional engineer in the state of Illinois.
On November 8, 2007 Mr. Drengenberg won the PR News “Spokesperson of the Year”
award.
Deputy Chief (Retired) Neil Lipski
Chief Neil Lipski started the business known as “The National Tunnel Institute”, LLC in 1982. It was during this that I (then an MFD Lieutenant) was training and certifying of the Milwaukee Fire Department under the rules of MSHA (Mine Safety & Health Administration). My father, Deputy Chief Dan Lipski, did all of the administrative and political work to develop the team. My father and I, both certified MSHA instructors, got the team up and running. I personally have been involved in many rescues both in person and on the telephone. I have trained many major city Fire Departments and most tunnel contractors from coast to coast and in Puerto Rico.
I have been hired as an expert witness in court, have trained district attorneys, their investigators, police, OSHA and tunnel owners.
Tunnel and mine rescue today represent some of the most potentially dangerous confined space entries. The goal is to insure that teams trained and certified under MSHA rules are ready to respond with the tools necessary to effect a safe outcome.
The National Tunnel Institute has trained and certified over 12,000 people.
Chief Bill RICE
William Rice was appointed as the first full-time Fire Chief for the Village of Grafton on July 16, 2013. Prior to that appointment, he also serves as the Fire Chief for the Village off Saukville, Chief Rice was a full-time member of the City of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Fire Department for 26 years. The last 16 years as Deputy Fire Chief, assigned to various Divisions, such as Fire Education, Fire Training, Support Services and Shift Commander. Chief Rice also worked for Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) as their Fire Training Certification Coordinator for 22 years. Chief Rice serves as a Wisconsin Technical College System State Representative in the Fire Service Training Certification Program for Firefighter Testing. Chief Rice has over 20 years of Volunteer Fire Department experience serving in the Village of Bayside, Village of River Hills and with the Grafton Fire Department for 5 years prior to appointment as the first full-time Fire Chief in Grafton. Chief Rice was instrumental in working to bring the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) to wide-spread use throughout the State of Wisconsin. This work with MABAS lead to Chief Rice being appointed as the Southeast Regional Coordinator for MABAS Wisconsin in 2009. Chief Rice will periodically travel outside of Grafton to help coordinate large scale MABAS emergencies throughout the Southeast area of Wisconsin. Prior to joining the Grafton Volunteer Fire Department in 2008, Chief Rice served as a citizen member of the Grafton Fire and Police Commission for ten years,
Chief Rice, is earned the distinction Executive Fire Officer (EFO) from the National Fire Academy in Emmetsburg, Maryland. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs and the Ozaukee County Fire Chiefs.
Chief Rice and his family have lived in the Village of Grafton for 27 years.
Scott Carnahan
Scott Carnahan is director of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) for a global consumer goods company based in southeast Wisconsin. He and his wife currently reside in Greendale, WI having relocated to the Milwaukee area in 2019 from Minnesota where he engaged in frequent fire scene photography in both Minneapolis and the southwest suburbs of the Twin Cities.
Scott has been involved in fire scene photography since 1985 and has had images published in Firehouse Magazine as well as several newspapers throughout the United States and Canada. Prior to moving to Wisconsin, Scott created a permanent photo exhibit at the Minnesota Firefighters Museum in Minneapolis called ‘FACEST of the BRAVEST’ which showcases the men and women of the Minneapolis Fire Department. In his spare time, Scott is a volunteer fire scene photographer for the Milwaukee Fire Department. His photography focuses on the people aspects of firefighting in a manner that puts a face to the profession.
Scott has a bachelor of science degree in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology from Eastern Kentucky University. In addition to his industrial safety and fire protection experience, early in his career he served as a volunteer firefighter, hazmat technician and a fire service instructor for agencies in Kentucky, Iowa, Louisiana and Ohio.
MFD Deputy Chief Retired Jim Ley
Jim is a retired 35-year veteran of the Milwaukee Fire Department. He was sworn into the MFD on October 11, 1982 and served in the ranks of Firefighter, Heavy Equipment Operator, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief and finally Deputy Chief, retiring in December of 2017. Chief Ley is a longtime member of the Milwaukee Fire Historical Society and currently serves as curator of the Milwaukee Fire Museum. He has written a number of books relating to local Milwaukee fire history.
Retired Captain Mike Bolender
Mike Bolender served 32 years with the Oak Creek Police Department. Mike retired as the Operations Captain overseeing the Patrol Division and the Communication Center.
Capt. Bolender has responded to two active shooters. The first active shooter was in 2004 at Comfort Suites as one of Oak Creek’s SWAT Team Leaders, his team eventually took the subject into custody after he killed several people, took a hostage, and barricaded in a room. The second was at the Sikh Temple in which Capt. Bolender was tasked with being the incident commander overseeing operations and response to the shooting at the Sikh Gurdwara.
After being involved in two active shooter attacks Mike and his team felt they needed to do more to prevent, respond and protect our society from acts of targeted violence. The PW Team created a unique, three-pronged full, spectrum program that empowers those they train with concepts and strategies that can prevent and enhance the response of any organization or individual when facing an active shooter.