John R Storm
John R. Storm is a fire service, EMS, and public safety expert with 30 years of fire service experience, including 25 years as a practicing paramedic and service as a chief-level officer. As a retired Assistant Fire Chief, he has commanded emergency incidents, supervised fireground operations, developed departmental policies, overseen EMS quality assurance, managed 911 communications, conducted internal investigations, and led municipal OSHA compliance initiatives. Throughout his career, he has participated in or commanded hundreds of fire incidents and thousands of EMS responses, providing firsthand knowledge of the operational, administrative, and leadership decisions that are frequently examined in litigation.
Since launching his expert witness practice in March 2026, Mr. Storm has been retained in more than a dozen cases involving fire origin and cause, fireground operations and tactics, incident command, NIMS, 911 communications, EMS standard of care, wrongful death, patient assessment and treatment, documentation, and emergency medical services operations. Of these cases, 45% have been retained by plaintiff attorneys and 55% by defendant attorneys. Mr. Storm has deposition experience and has submitted numerous case studies/affidavits.
His experience spans every level of the fire service—from frontline emergency response to executive leadership—allowing him to evaluate whether agencies, officers, firefighters, paramedics, dispatch centers, and municipalities complied with applicable standards of care, accepted practices, and governing policies. His background includes:
• Fire department operations, incident command, and fireground tactics
• EMS standard of care, patient assessment, treatment, and documentation
• NFPA standards, policy development, training, and compliance
• 911 communications, emergency dispatch, and multi-agency coordination
• Internal investigations, quality assurance, and personnel performance evaluations
• Municipal administration, organizational liability, staffing, firefighter fatigue, OSHA compliance, and FLSA issues
• Statewide resource mobilization and large-scale incident management
In addition to his fire service career, Mr. Storm has experience in executive recruiting and municipal consulting, providing additional insight into hiring practices, leadership expectations, supervision, and organizational liability in public safety agencies.
Mr. Storm also possesses a Master of Legal Studies, further strengthening his ability to analyze complex technical issues within the framework of litigation and evidentiary standards.
Attorneys retain Mr. Storm because he combines decades of real-world command and clinical experience with objective, standards-based analysis. His opinions are grounded in practical application, nationally recognized standards, departmental policies, and accepted practices, enabling him to explain complex fire service and EMS issues clearly and persuasively to attorneys, judges, and juries.
- Disaster Management
- Emergency Communications & 911
- Emergency Medical Services
- Explosions
- Fire
- Fire & Life Safety
- Medical Malpractice
- Personal Injury
- Rescue
- Wrongful Death
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Education:
Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law, Tempe, Arizona
• Master of Legal Studies (Expected 07/2026)
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
• Master's of Public Policy and Administration
Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois
• Bachelor of Arts, Management
Alternate Dispute Resolution Center, Tempe, Arizona
• Mediation Training
National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, Maryland
• Executive Fire Officer Development Certificate
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
• • NFA, Executive Fire Officer Program, Executive Development
• National Fire Academy – Executive Development Certificate
• Chief Fire Officer (Illinois Fire Chiefs’, IFSAC, & CPSE Equivalent)
• Illinois Fire Officer – Level II
• Illinois Fire Instructor – Level II
• Illinois Fire Officer – Level I
• Illinois Fire Instructor – Level I
• Fire Inspector – I & II
• Firefighter III
• S130/190 – Wildland Red Card Certified
• ICC Fire Inspector I
• The Science of Fire and Explosion Hazards from Lithium-Ion Batteries
• Fire Service Considerations w/Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage Systems
• Fire Investigation for Fire Officers (25-hour tested training program)
• Fire Investigation & Arson Recognition
• Fireworks/Pyrotechnics Enforcement Officials Fireworks Training Program
• Fire/Life Safety Education Specialist
• Department of Homeland Security WMD Response Training (100)
• Vehicle and Machinery Operations
• Fire Service Vehicle Operator
• Advance Technician Firefighter
• Hazardous Materials Technician A
• Technical Rescue Technician
• ARFF Rescue Firefighter
• Confined Space/Trench Awareness
• Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Specialist
• Technical Rescue Awareness
• Railroad Emergency Response and Awareness
• EMT-P (Paramedic)
• EMT-B Basic
• PALS Instructor
• PHTLS Instructor
• CPR Instructor
• ACLS Instructor
Complete NIMS/ICS 100–800 series.
- Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Member, Arizona State Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association
Member, International Association of Fire Chiefs
Member Arizona State Fire Chiefs Association
Member, Western Fire Chiefs Association.
Member, Illinois Fire Chiefs Association
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: I am currently retained on 13 cases with a 45% plaintiff retention and 55% defendant retention.
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: 911 and Emergency Communications
EMS Standard of Care
Emergency Management and Resource Deployment
Fire Cause/Investigation
Fire Code - Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 45% Plaintiff
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 55% Defendant
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: 1 deposition with 2 pending
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: July 20, 2026
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: 2 pending
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Consulting, records, policy review, and other documents. Assessing legal standards, and State and Federal regulations (NFPA, OSHA, IFC)
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: Free initial consultation
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: Available upon request
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: Available upon request
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: Available upon request
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Available upon request
- When It Comes to Fire Investigation, Credentials Matter, But Experience Matters More
- Fire Department Staffing Isn’t Just an Operational Issue; It’s a Liability Issue.
- Wildfire Evacuations are Measured in Minutes, Not Hours.
- “Lights, Sirens, and Liability: How Burnout Impacts Emergency Response Driving and Decision-Making”
- Fatigue, Overtime, and FLSA: A Growing Risk for Fire Departments
- When Does EMS Pre-Hospital Care Transition into Medical Malpractice?
- Failure to Train: The Hidden Liability Inside Fire and EMS Agencies
- Why Retaining a Fire & EMS Expert Witness Early Can Change the Outcome of a Case
- Certification Is Not Synonymous with Qualifications: Why Attorneys Should Evaluate Fire Investigators Under Rule 702 and NFPA 1033, Not Just Professional Credentials
Available Upon Request