Chief Dennis Compton, who served as the Mesa, Arizona, fire chief for 5 years and the Phoenix, Arizona, assistant fire chief for 27 years, is also a well-known speaker. In addition, he has authored several books, including When in Doubt, Lead, a three-part series, and Mental Aspects of Performance for Firefighters and Fire Officers, as well as articles for a variety of publications. He also served as co-editor of the most recent edition of the International City/County Management Association textbook, Managing Fire and Rescue Services. He is a respected advisor to the fire service and homeland security organizations.

Chief Compton is vice chair of the Home Safety Council Board of Directors, and serves on the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute steering committee. He has served as chair of the executive board of the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) and of the Congressional Fire Services Institute's national advisory committee. Chief Compton was selected as the 1991 George D. Post National Fire Service Instructor of the Year and the American Fire Sprinkler Association's Fire Service Person of the Year in 2000. He was also named the 2001 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by the University of Phoenix and received the 2003 Mason Lankford National Fire Service Leadership Award. He is a charter member of the Arizona Fire Service Hall of Fame.