Matt Mauer served the City of Kansas City, Missouri for 33 years, retiring in early 2022 as a KCFD Battalion Chief. He also served Kansas City’s two certificated airports (KCMI & KMKC) for 17 years. The KCFD Aircraft Rescue Division received numerous accolades (Medals of Excellence, Safety Awards) from the FAA and DOT during this time for repeated discrepancy-free performance. Chief Mauer has continuously edited for the ARFF News since 2005, and his articles have appeared in that magazine as well as in AAAE’s Airport magazine. His (co-authored) white paper following the crash of Asiana 214 was accepted by the NTSB and its conclusions incorporated into both the NTSB recommendations and resulting FAA guidance. As a subject matter expert, he has appeared on numerous panels on ARFF topics and presented to multiple industry groups, particularly on training topics. As a union officer (IAFF 3808), he served his coworkers for twelve years. He was a Director of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Working Group (arffwg.org) for six years, serving four years on their Executive Board. He has also been a Director of the Aviation Emergency Response Organization (AERO.org), which he now serves in an ex officio capacity. As a retiree, Chief Mauer continues to serve Kansas City through multiple civic groups and on various boards. He is currently a candidate for Kansas City’s City Council (2023 elections).