Delaware Fire School Names Blizzard Lifetime Instructor
Chief Howard Blizzard of the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company was honored for decades of teaching at the state fire school.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Awards
The Delaware State Fire School named Chief Howard Blizzard a Lifetime Instructor on November 4, 2026, recognizing his long teaching career. His name was also added to the wall of honor near the school's entrance.
Why it matters
The designation is rare, with fewer than 100 instructors inducted since the school opened in the 1960s, and it recognizes sustained excellence and innovation in fire training across Delaware.
Selection requires at least 15 continuous years of active instructional service, full retirement from instruction, and a unanimous vote of the full-time senior instructional staff. The school currently employs 21 full-time staff and more than 250 part-time instructional personnel.
The players
Howard Blizzard
Chief Blizzard is a longtime fire service leader with the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company who taught at the Delaware State Fire School for decades.
Delaware State Fire School
The Delaware State Fire School is a full-time member of the State Emergency Response Team that trains firefighters and emergency responders across the state.
Matthew Dodds
Matthew Dodds is the sixth director of the Delaware State Fire School, who presented the Lifetime Instructor designation.
The details
Matthew Dodds, the sixth director of the Delaware State Fire School, presented the Lifetime Instructor designation to Blizzard. Blizzard began teaching at the school on March 17, 1971, covering basic firefighting, industrial fire brigade operations, driving and pumping, specialized hazards, and command-level leadership.
Timeline
March 17, 1971: Blizzard begins teaching at the Delaware State Fire School.
November 4, 2026: The school confers the Lifetime Instructor title on Blizzard.
Culture Shift
The Lifetime Instructor designation at the Delaware State Fire School continues a tradition, dating to the school's 1960s founding, of formally recognizing senior educators who have shaped the state's emergency response workforce. Its unanimous-vote requirement and 15-year service threshold keep the honor exclusive to long-serving instructors.
Residents who rely on Delaware's volunteer fire companies benefit from instructors whose decades of training shape local responders. The honor signals the depth of experience available within the state's emergency training system.
The takeaway
Long-term commitment to training builds the skilled workforce that protects communities, and recognition of that commitment helps sustain it. Residents interested in fire service careers can look to the state's training programs as a starting point.
Further reading
Explore more recognition stories in our Awards section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by State of Delaware News.
