Bill Stipp enjoyed serving in the fire service from October of 1982 until his retirement in 2009 from the Goodyear Fire Department. Bill held all chief officer ranks including Chief of Department for more than 15 years of his career, serving in three states. During his fire service career, Bill focused on regional operations, organizational management, employee development and emergency response.

Bill has also served on a number of regional, state and national committees to improve and maximize fire service delivery. Based on his experience and skills, the United States Army recognizes Bill as a Subject Matter Expert in the function and application of the Unified and Incident Command Systems.

In what would be a huge surprise to his high school English teachers, Bill has started writing fire service based textbooks, articles and now his first piece of fiction. Bill is one of two authors for a weekly on-line training program for the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He is also the lead author for a new textbook being published by Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Bill’s fiction book, which was originally titled “The Average Man,” is a Christian story based on his own journey, detailing a relationship near and far from God, intertwined with fire service stories and how God’s plan has been revealing itself throughout his entire life. As a result of a career ending spinal injury, Bill was left with an uncertain future. It was his faith in God that led him forward.

When he’s not writing, Bill enjoys spending time with his wife Lisa and their two children. They enjoy traveling and simply being together. Bill was also elected in 2011 to serve as a member of the City Council in his hometown of 67,000. He currently owns a contract consulting firm specializing in personnel selection, employee development, leadership, incident management, supervisory training, and organizational management.