Redmond EMS Abstracts.indd - IAFF

Behavioral Wellness: Mental Aspects of Performance
and Biosciences. He holds an international reputation in both the emergency response and research
communities as an author, researcher, lecturer, consultant and commentator on psychosocial
impacts of disaster and community response to catastrophe.
Ron Tapscott, MSW
Director
Phoenix Fire Department
61 E. Columbus Ave
Phoenix, Arizona 85012
602-277-1500
rjtapscott@hotmail.com
Background:
Ron Tapscott is currently the Director of the Behavioral Health Programs for United Phoenix Fire
Fighters (IAFF Local 493) / City of Phoenix Fire Department and Director of Behavioral Health
Programs for the Peoria Fire Department. He currently serves on the International Association of
Fire Fighters (IAFF) EAP Committee. He brings 22 years in private practice, community mental
health, employee assistance programming, and managed behavioral care. Skills include short term,
solution focused therapy, individual, family, couple and group counseling, chemical dependency
counseling, emergency services training and development. Administrative skills include program
development and implementation, clinical supervision, marketing, and operations management.
For 20 years, his experience has been in employee assistance programming, counseling services,
program development, policy and procedure consultation and development, and critical incident
team development, training, and facilitation for several Arizona Fire departments and emergency
service personnel organizations. He provided consultation and coordination for the International
Association of Fire Fighters during national mobilization to assist the Fire Department, City of New
York (FDNY) immediately after and for several months following the 9/11 attack on the World
Trade Center and provided clinical coordination, fund raising, statewide needs assessment for
Louisiana fire fighters for the IAFF in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas for 30 days immediately
following and for several months following Katrina/Rita.
Prior to re-careering into the behavioral health field he spent 20 years in the midwest as a factory
worker organizing unions from the shop floor and a community organizer focusing on issues of
unemployment and community empowerment. He received a Master’s in Social Work from the
University of Wisconsin, 1986 and a BA in Psychology and Sociology from Kent State University,
Ohio, 1969.
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