Toronto District Chief Brent Brooks named Instructor of the Year; FDNY Lt. Andrew A. Fredericks receives posthumous lifetime achievement award

INDIANAPOLIS — The winners of two of the fire service’s top honors were announced Wednesday at FDIC.

Toronto Fire Services Acting District Chief Brent Brooks was named the 2026 ISFSI/Fire Engineering George D. Post Instructor of the Year, and the FDNY Lt. Andrew A. Fredericks is the posthumous recipient of the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award. These awards are among the most respected recognitions in the profession, highlighting both the day-to-day work of advancing firefighter training and the long-term influence of those who shape the fire service.

George D. Post Instructor of the Year: Brent Brooks

Brent Brooks, acting district chief with Toronto Fire Services, is the first Canadian to receive the George D. Post Instructor of the Year award, which recognizes instructors who demonstrate exceptional dedication to advancing fire service training, operational effectiveness and firefighter safety.

Brent Brooks.

Brooks’ career reflects more than three decades of work in fire service education, with a focus on high-rise operations, standpipe tactics and complex fireground strategy.

Fire Engineering’s announcement details Brooks’ impact: “As the lead instructor for HighRiseFirefighting.com and an international speaker and practitioner, Brooks has volunteered his time and expertise to fire departments across North America and around the world, helping to elevate training standards and improve firefighter safety. His experience as a fire officer, researcher, and instructor has made him a sought-after voice on high-rise fire tactics and large-diameter hose operations, bringing real-world insights to audiences far beyond his home in Canada.”

Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award: Lt. Andrew A. Fredericks

The late Lt. Andrew A. Fredericks of the FDNY, who died on September 11, 2001, is widely recognized for his influence on modern engine company operations and his role in shaping generations of firefighters through both instruction and example.

In announcing the award, Fire Engineering detailed Fredericks’ broad impact on training, writing and fireground operations: “Though his life was cut short as he was nearing the height of his career, in six short years he established himself as an industry giant in his own right.”

Fire Engineering summarized Fredericks’ career: “He was a New York state-certified fire instructor at the Rockland County Fire Training Center in Pomona, New York; an adjunct instructor at the New York State Academy of Fire Science; a field instructor for the Illinois Fire Service Institute; an instructor for the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs; and an adjunct lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He was co-author of FDNY’s engine company operations manual. He was a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Fire Engineering and FDIC International. He was president of Andrew A. Fredericks & Associates, Inc., a firm specializing in municipal fire service training and consulting. He had two bachelor’s degrees, one in political science and one in public safety, with a specialization in fire science, and a master’s degree in fire protection management from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He developed the Fire Engineering “Bread and Butter” Operations videos Advancing the Initial Attack Handline (1997), Stretching the Initial Attack Handline (1998), and Methods of Structure Fire Attack (1999). He taught H.O.T. classes at FDIC.”

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