September 27th - 30th | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
2026 APCO Atlantic
Conference Discussion Panels
9/11 Discussion Panel
Joel D. Landis
Joel is the Emergency Management Director for Somerset County, Pennsylvania, bringing more than 26 years of county government experience and nearly three decades of emergency services experience. A volunteer firefighter and EMT since the late 1990’s, Landis has built his career around preparedness, response, recovery, and community resilience. He coordinates countywide emergency management operations involving municipalities, public safety, healthcare, nonprofits, specialized response teams, and state and federal partners. Landis is a strong advocate for locally driven emergency management, regional cooperation, and disaster recovery systems that reflect real community impacts. His philosophy is simple: preparedness begins long before the emergency occurs.
Christopher Blake Carver
Christopher is a 31-year public safety veteran who has served in agencies ranging from a one seat fire/EMS center to Director of the nation’s largest and busiest Fire Department Dispatch Operation—the FDNY. Along the way he has worked for some of the most significant emergency events in recent American History—from Superstorm Sandy in 2012 to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. After his time in FDNY, Chris served as Director of PSAP Operations for the National Emergency Number Association, supporting the roll out of NG9-1-1. Following NENA, Chris transitioned to the vendor community, moving to Octave. There he serves as Director of Market Development, connecting the needs of the public safety and government industries with technological advancements, marketing, and sales processes.
Today, Chris resides with his husband Jayce in Columbus, Ohio, where he is active in the Broad Street Presbyterian Church and a member of multiple community, professional, and social organizations. Chris has presented at dozens of conferences around the world as a breakout and keynote presenter. His first book, Milestones and Miracles, the incredible odyssey of a fire dispatcher from Ohio to 9/11 and beyond was released in 2025.
Kyra Pulliam
Kyra is a seasoned public safety professional with more than 40 years of experience supporting emergency communications and 911 operations at the federal, state, regional, and local levels. Currently serving as a Project Manager with Mission Critical Partners, she provides strategic consulting, operational guidance, and project management support for Next Generation 911 (NG911) initiatives and communications center optimization efforts nationwide. Prior to joining Mission Critical Partners, Kyra spent most of her career with Arlington County Emergency Communications, where she handled the law enforcement response to the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11. She also served in multiple roles, leading personnel, coordinating incident response operations, and driving workforce development initiatives. She is recognized for her expertise in stakeholder engagement, training development, communications center operations, with a strong commitment to advancing public safety communications and operational excellence.