David Picone

David Picone is CEO of the Health & Safety Leadership Alliance and a retired Battalion Chief from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Over his 30-year career, he built one of the most comprehensive Health & Safety Office models in the fire service, authoring 34 integrated policies that address prevention, behavioral health, cancer mitigation, injury rehabilitation, and coordinated claims management. During a decade of operational growth, SDFD’s injury rate per FTE dropped from 32% to 24%, while annual workers’ compensation claims remained stable despite increased presumptive exposures. He secured over $1.5M in grants to develop a Division I–level Wellness Center and expanded peer, chaplain, and canine-based crisis support services department-wide. As CEO, Picone now leads a national effort to scale this proof-of-value framework across the fire, EMS, law enforcement, labor, healthcare, and risk sectors—aligning prevention and recovery systems with NFPA, OSHA, Cal/OSHA, IAFF-WFI, MTUS, ACOEM, and law enforcement standards.