We've been truly blessed to get to know Chief Tobia over the last several years. Watching him embrace this community and lead his team with humility has been an absolute privilege. In fact, his approach to leadership is exactly why we're working with the Harrisonburg Professional Firefighters Foundation to launch their "100 Club" initiative through The 2025 LeadershipLegacy Experience!
Matthew Tobia is the Fire Chief with the City of Harrisonburg (VA) Fire Department and is a 37-year student of emergency services. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer program at the National Fire Academy. Matt has served as a member of the Editorial Board for Fire-Rescue Magazine and has authored over 120 articles. He is the former chair of the International Association of Fire Chief’s Safety, Health and Survival Section, holds the Chief Fire Officer credential and is a member of the Institute of Fire Engineers. Chief Tobia is currently serving on three national task forces commissioned by the United States Fire Administrator addressing Mental Health, Cancer, and Cardiovascular issues within the firefighting community. He also served as the IAFC representative to the NACOSH Task Force charged with creating a new safety standard for firefighters in the United States. Prior to Harrisonburg, Chief Tobia spent 23 years with the Anne Arundel County (MD) Fire Department and four years with Loudoun County (VA) Fire Rescue. Matt began volunteering in south central Pennsylvania in 1987 and is active with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the Mid Atlantic Burn Camp for Children.
In this session, we'll talk with Chief Tobia about the clear purpose that's drive him throughout his career and the purpose the Harrisonburg Fire Department exists to achieve.
To learn more about Chief Tobia and how he helps the Harrisonburg Fire Department pursue their clear purpose, check out https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/fire
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.