Chief Karls Paul-Noël is a highly experienced retired 27-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. During his career he has served in the ranks as Firefighter, Lieutenant, Captain, Division Chief, Assistant Chief and Interim Fire Chief prior to his retirement.
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Chief Paul-Noël is also a former member of Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team since 1987 and has responded to disasters worldwide, including earthquakes in Haiti and Turkey, floods in Mozambique, and numerous hurricanes in the Caribbean. Under the auspices of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant, Chief Paul-Noël was one of the lead instructors for the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) sanctioned Training-For-Instructors (TFI) methodology course.
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Chief Paul-Noël holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Florida International University, a Bachelor of Public Administration degree from Barry University, and an Associate degree in Fire Science Technology from Miami-Dade College. He is a state-certified Firefighter, advanced Protocol Paramedic, Fire Service Instructor, Scuba-authorized Rescue Diver, Marine Firefighter, OFDA Instructor, ACLS and PALS instructor, Adjunct instructor for Miami-Dade College's Medical program and Florida International University's MPA graduate program.
Among his many accomplishments, Chief Paul-Noël is featured in the 1999-2000 edition of the National Dean’s List recognizing academic achievements of outstanding college students in America. He is also a member of the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society. “Time Magazine named Chief Paul-Noël as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010 and recognized him as one of the heroes of the year for his efforts in Haiti following that nation’s devastating earthquake.”
Since his retirement Chief Paul-Noel has been assisting the world community with various major projects as an international public safety consultant. He has been the lead consultant representing ICMA on a project to assess the fire service in Haiti. Chief Paul-Noel continues to be an active and influential resource in the world of public safety and the fire service community. Chief Paul-Noel has most recently transitioned into a new role as the Fire Science Program Manager under the School of Justice at Miami Dade College.
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