While we appreciate the excitement for our event, the safety of our responders and communities is our main priority. Our entire staff is made up of volunteers who serve as responders and leaders in their community in their day-to-day role. Most of our team is expected to be in response and recovery mode within their jurisdiction, or the southeast United States, for the majority of October. While these hurricanes have delayed our event planning, we intend to pick up where we left off once we account for the safety our team and communities. We encourage everyone to stay informed on hurricane response using their local emergency management office or the Florida Division of Emergency Management
Locations
HazMat Symposium Classes
Daytona Grande Oceanfront Resort
422 N. Atlantic Ave.
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
HazMat Symposium Team Competition
Volusia County Fire Rescue Training
3889 Tiger Bay Road
Daytona Beach, FL 32124
HazMat Symposium Lodging
Daytona Grande Oceanfront Resort
422 N. Atlantic Ave.
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
HazMat Team Competition
TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2024
The State of Florida HazMat Competition for a Transportation Emergency is open to any hazardous materials technician. Each team should consist of three (3) members with one (1) optional alternate. The competition is open for the first 14 teams to register.
BECOME A SPONSOR
SUPPORT THE FL HAZMAT SYMPOSIUM
Join us at the 2025 Florida Hazardous Materials Symposium, tailored for our esteemed first responders, emergency managers, and hazmat professionals. Elevate your brand's visibility with our five distinguished sponsorship tiers: Nuclear, Hot, Warm, and Cold Zones. As a top-tier Nuclear Zone sponsor, exclusively sponsor prime events and receive an exclusive speaking slot. The Nuclear Zone offers unique privileges, including sole sponsorships for select ceremonies and enhanced branding opportunities. The Hot, Warm, and Cold Zones provide a spectrum of benefits, from vendor booth space to brand exposure during our grand opening ceremony. Engage with our dedicated emergency response community and align your brand with their mission at this premier event!
2024 OPENING CEREMONY
Every Disaster is a HazMat Disaster
Keynote Speaker: John Scardena
John Scardena is an emergency management expert and the driving force behind Doberman Emergency Management. As the CEO of Doberman, John established The Readiness Lab and Impulse brands. In addition to his work, he is an adjunct professor at Saint Louis University and hosts the Disaster Tough Podcast. John is an award-winning emergency manager with national and international recognition who supports several conferences related to emergency services as a keynote speaker.
At Doberman Emergency Management, John and his team empower stadiums, universities, governmental agencies, and commercial sectors with tailored emergency planning, training, medical equipment. His expertise spans a multitude of threats, from public health and hazardous materials to active shooters, flooding, hurricanes, and beyond. With a dynamic background as a former Federal Emergency Response Official and a member of the National Strike Team, John's influence extends to innovative initiatives like FEMA's first drone missions in disaster response. He is also credited with developing an enhanced Hazard Vulnerability Assessment, which he developed at the National Cancer Institute. Most recently, he pioneered advancements in physical security assessments.
John's educational journey includes a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Administration from Utah Valley University and a Master’s Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from Georgetown University. His tenure at Apple as a Business Intelligence Project Manager further enriched his skill set, bringing synergy between technology and emergency management. As the CEO of Doberman and the founder of The Readiness Lab, he remains at the forefront of emergency services marketing, bridging the gap between technology, public safety, and disaster response.
Of the many accomplishments, John prides himself as a husband and father of two children. In his free time, he enjoys exploring with his family and coaching his children’s sports teams. He is actively engaged in his church with experiences including Boy Scouts of America Leader or as a Youth Sunday School Teacher.