A NAFI Director You Should Know ... Ron Hopkins, CFEI, CFII
 
Ronald L. Hopkins, CFEI, CFII is one of NAFI’s most active directors and educators. Although many NAFI members are familiar with Ron through NAFI Sponsored Seminars, Eastern Kentucky University, or the numerous other training activities in which he participates. The National Fire Investigator asked one of Ron’s students, Marcie Wright, to interview him and put together an article so that every member may have a chance to get to know Ron a little better.
 
Ron Hopkins was first introduced to Fire Investigation in1966, as a Middletown, New Jersey, volunteer firefighter. Ron successfully pursued a Master of Science in Vocational and Technical Education at Murray State University, while a career firefighter in 1973 at the City of Murray Fire Department in Murray, Kentucky. He continued as a full-time firefighter until 1976, when he became a professor at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond Kentucky.
 
Ron, recently promoted to Associate Professor at EKU, continues to teach undergraduate students in such fire and safety areas as: Hazardous Materials, Fire Chemistry and Dynamics, Fire Protection Codes and Standards, Hydraulics, Explosives, and Fire Cause and Origin. An inspiring teacher and a favorite among the students for his dynamic style and high energy levels, Ron utilizes many instructional tools in the Fire Investigation classroom. The most important of which is NFPA 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations.

Ron Hopkins, CFEI, CFII

Teaching the Computer Fire Modeling Course at the 2000 National Fire, Arson & Explosion Investigation Training Program

 
 
Outside classroom walls, Ron and his students conduct investigations of controlled live burn and explosion scenes. These scenes are carefully created to be as real as possible allowing the students to learn proper investigative techniques. Ron feels that the real-life simulations offer a valuable supplement to the traditional classroom experience. The skills students build outside of the classroom are essential to the students’ success in the work force.
 
Ron often takes his instruction outside of the University. He frequently can be found as an instructor at NAFI sponsored training programs, teaching the Computer Fire Modeling, Certified Fire Investigation Instructor, Explosion Investigation and Chemistry of Fire, and Fire Dynamics. Ron is a partner in Abney & Hopkins, Fire Protection and Safety Consultants, Ltd. A professional consulting firm that offers such services as: Industrial Emergency Response to hazardous materials emergencies, confined space entry and rescue, incipient and interior structural fire brigades, first aid and CPR, and emergency response management.
 
Ron has also instructed at the Institute of Life Safety Technology and Emergency Management Education, the Kentucky State Fire School, the Fire Department Instructors Conference, the Kentucky Governors Safety and Health Conference, the National Association of Fire Instructors Conference, and the National Fire Protection Association Conference.
 
Not easily confined to the classroom, Ron takes a leading role in the fire investigation community as an active member of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors and National Association of Fire Investigators. He is the Chairman of the National Certification Board, a member of the Safety Committee and several task groups, including the development of the Certified Fire Investigation Instructor. Ron remains very involved with the National Fire Protection Association; he is a member of the Fire Service Section, the technical committee on Professional Qualifications for Fire Service Instructor NFPA-1041, and the technical committee on Fire Investigations NFPA-921.
 
Ron is also a consultant and expert witness in the areas of fire cause investigation and accident cause investigation to consulting firms, law firms, insurance companies and industry companies.
 
Marci Wright is a former student of Ron Hopkins and a recent graduate of the Eastern Kentucky University Fire and Safety Engineering Technology Program, with an emphasis in Arson and Explosion Investigation. Marcie plans to be a Fire Investigator and is currently seeking employment opportunities.