Her Story
About Lori
Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell is an internationally respected leader in fire safety, emergency response, and public safety innovation with more than 35 years of experience advancing the fire service profession through leadership, research, and technology. Her career began with the Memphis Fire Department immediately after college, following her decision to leave medical school to pursue emergency medicine directly in the field. After seven years serving in frontline emergency response, she was recruited to the International Association of Fire Fighters to lead initiatives focused on emergency medical services and the growing integration of EMS within fire departments nationwide. Over the course of more than 26 years with the organization, she expanded her work into research and data analytics, leading national studies on crew size, deployment models, community risk assessment, firefighter safety, civilian casualty reduction, and emergency response effectiveness. Her work helped shape evidence-based decision-making within fire departments across North America and established her as one of the most influential voices in fire service research and strategy. Following her retirement from the IAFF in 2019, Dr. Moore-Merrell founded the International Public Safety Data Institute, recognizing the critical role data plays in understanding risk, strengthening response capabilities, and improving outcomes in emergency response systems. During this period, she led the development of innovative national data tools designed to modernize how fire service agencies collect, analyze, and apply operational information. In 2021, she was appointed by President Biden to serve as the U.S. Fire Administrator, where she led transformative national initiatives focused on emergency response modernization, wildfire resilience, and public safety innovation. Among her most significant accomplishments was envisioning and delivering the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS), replacing a nearly 50-year-old federal data system with a modern analytics-driven platform that is reshaping emergency response intelligence nationwide. She also founded and chaired the inaugural World Fire Congress, bringing together fire leaders from more than 50 countries to strengthen global collaboration around wildfire mitigation, emerging technologies, and fire safety strategy, with the initiative continuing internationally through future congresses to be hosted by the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Today, Dr. Moore-Merrell continues to shape the future of global fire safety and emergency response as a leadership advisor, technology advocate, and Principal Fire Safety Strategist with UL Research Institutes Fire Safety Research Institute. Her current work focuses heavily on wildfire resilience, technology innovation, climate-related fire risks, and identifying solutions that close the gap between escalating threats and emergency response capabilities. A strong advocate for data-informed leadership and emerging technologies, she believes innovation will play a defining role in protecting communities and improving firefighter safety in the years ahead. Dr. Moore-Merrell holds both a Doctorate in Public Health in Quality Performance Metrics and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and has received numerous national honors recognizing her lifelong leadership and contributions to public safety, emergency medical services leadership, and fire service advancement.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lori
01What do you attribute your success to?
I am a person of faith, so I think that I'm very blessed. I believe that God presents the opportunities that come in our life, it's just a matter of seeing them and being bold enough to step into that space. I've worked in a male-dominated field my entire life, and yet rarely felt minimized because there was always a male mentor who stepped in and said, "This is important". They would follow with "You need to step up and bring the science. You need to step into this space." I had some great guidance early on when a strong leader said to me, "You're never going to be one of them," meaning I'm never going to be male. "You're gonna have to give 110% to their 100% if you're gonna make it in this field." I really took that to heart. I was 29 years old when they said that to me. It would be difficult to say that to a many women today. It may even be offensive. But at the time, I didn't find it offensive. I found it inspiring and it gave me the drive and determination that I have had throughout my career to make a difference.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Lead as if other peoples' lives depend on it... because they do.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say dream big and prepare yourself, because it's really unfortunate when opportunities occur and you're not ready. The opportunities will come. It's a matter of you being prepared to step into it. For me, academics was a big one, so I suggest education. I suggest being open-minded about the opportunities that are in front of you even if they seem small at first. See every new opportunity as a step in preparing for the big opportunity that will come. I see many young people who want to take an easy path, perhaps as influencers... and some of them make it, most don't. Therefore, ensure that you are getting the baseline education, learning something new every day, and never thinking that you know it all. Every day is a learning opportunity, and every meeting that you have, every interaction is an interview.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is that the risks are moving faster than we can keep up. What I mean by that is that the fire risk around the world is tremendous. The climate has changed, the drought is spreading, the extensive growth of vegetation around the world is massive, communities are being build right in the path of fire, and our fire response systems and our prevention systems, frankly, are not keeping up with the pace of the threat. So that gives me great concern.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
First of all, the mission is always the most important. I think integrity and character speak volumes, and for me, those are uncompromising. You have to maintain these. Without integrity, you have no voice that matters. Integrity inspires trust, and people, in order to trust you, make themselves vulnerable. Followers have a choice of whom they will follow. That fact is something I take to heart. I never want to disappoint people who've chosen to follow me as a leader.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Florida
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.