Zach L. Mathews

Zach L. Mathews

Deputy Director
Indiana Fire & Public Safety Academy
Indianapolis, IN

Zach Mathews is an experienced speaker, international trainer, and executive coach with more than 28 years of experience in public safety. He serves as Planning Section Chief for the Indiana Fire & Public Safety Academy, where he coordinates statewide executive leadership training, including the Indiana Fire Chief’s Academy. A John Maxwell-certified coach, DISC behavioral analyst, and experienced interrogator, Zach has led more than 100 fire executive leadership courses, training thousands of fire service leaders. He draws on his experience working with organizations such as Google, Armanino Consulting, the Indiana Supreme Court, and Century 21 Real Estate to deliver high-energy leadership programs to audiences worldwide.

You Can Read Smoke & EKGs but Can You Read Your People (Thursday, October 22, 2026 - 9:45-11:00am)

Effective fire and EMS leadership demands far more than technical proficiency. It requires the ability to read people as accurately as you read your environment. This dynamic session equips frontline firefighters, EMS providers, company officers, and chiefs with advanced communication and situational awareness techniques drawn from more than twenty years of investigative and interrogation experience in high-stakes environments. Participants will learn the art of interpreting nonverbal, paraverbal, and verbal cues, gaining the ability to recognize the needs, emotions, and intentions of both their teams and the public. Attendees will learn how to build rapid rapport, de-escalate conflict, and identify early signs of stress, aggression, or concealed threats—empowering them to lead with empathy and authority, even under extreme pressure. Whether on the fireground, at a patient’s side, or during daily interactions, these field-tested skills—tailored specifically for public safety professionals—will elevate command presence, strengthen team cohesion, and enhance operational effectiveness. Join the ranks of leaders from organizations such as Google, Century 21 Real Estate, Sentry Electrical Group Inc., Indianapolis Airport Authority, Indiana Supreme Court, Armanino Advisory LLC, and Danau Girang Field Centre (Borneo) who have leveraged the proven techniques taught in this course.