National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Welcomes New Board Members

Emmitsburg, MD — The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) is pleased to announce the appointments of Bob Jacobs of the Frederick (MD) Fire Service and John Zidar of Motorola Solutions, Inc. to the Board of Directors.  

Since 1963, Mr. Jacobs has been a volunteer and career Firefighter in Frederick, Maryland. A Life Member of Citizens Fire and Truck Company, Jacobs was elected President and Director in 2016 and has held numerous administrative positions, including Assistant Treasurer and Treasurer.

An active member with the Maryland State Fireman’s Association, he currently serves as the Assistant Treasurer. In addition, he held the position as a Trustee and Past President of the Frederick County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association.

Mr. Zidar has been with Motorola for 21 years, working primarily within the Government Market space. Since 2014 he has been responsible for Motorola’s North America Government business in the Central United States and Canada.

An industry expert in the field of wireless communication solutions, Zidar was recognized on the Motorola team that captured the Malcolm Baldridge Award for Excellence in 2002 with a concentration on Customer & Market Focus.  He was also a member of the Motorola Emergency response team activated during the 9/11 attacks and numerous Florida/Gulf Coast Hurricanes.

Additionally, he participants in many Government and Public Safety organizations such as the Major City Chiefs (MCC), National Association of State CIO’s (NASCIO), and the Association of Public Safety Communication Officers (APCO).  

“We are very pleased to have John and Bob join the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Board of Directors. Their combined insights and experiences will certainly help us enhance our mission and connect with more people and organizations in the fire service and beyond,” says Chief Dennis Compton, NFFF’s Chairman of the Board.



The United States Congress created the NFFF to lead a nationwide effort to remember America’s fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the non-profit foundation has developed and expanded programs to honor fallen fire heroes and assist their families and coworkers.  The NFFF also works closely with the U.S. Fire Administration to help prevent and reduce line-of- duty deaths and injuries.  For more information on the Foundation and its programs visit www.firehero.org.