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Bronze Level Authorized Trainers

The following Authorized Trainers received Bronze Level recognition in the CDP Exellence in Training program for fiscal years 2006-2009:

Sherry Adams; Southwestern District Health Unit; Dickinson, ND (2007, 2006) Sherry Adams is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist working in the Emergency Preparedness and Response Department at Southwestern District Health Unit, Dickinson. Sherry earned her bachelor's degree in biology in 1979 and worked as a lab and branch supervisor in the dairy industry for 23 years. She has worked in Emergency Preparedness and Response for five years, is Certified in Homeland Security at level  IV, and is also the SW Region Pandemic Flu Coordinator. Ms. Adams works to train first responders in Personal Protective Equipment and N-95 respiratory programs. Ms. Adams is a Hazmat Technician; Certified Water Lab Technician; Certified Instructor for CPR, FIRST AID, Blood borne Pathogens; and a Certified WMD instructor. She is also certified by FEMA and the State of ND as an Incident Command instructor.
James Asche; San Mateo County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services; Half Moon Bay, CA (2009) James Asche is a part-time emergency planner for the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services. For the last four and a half years, Mr. Asche has been involved in a number of planning projects, including updating the county's tsunami response plan, facilitating the installation of a tsunami warning system, developing an automated telephone tsunami notification system for costal cities and agencies in the county, and conducting emergency planning workshops and tabletop exercises. Mr. Asche is also part of the ESO's incident command training cadre, teaching the ICS-300 and ICS-400 courses. Prior to joining the Sheriff's Office, Mr. Asche was the fire chief of the Half Moon Bay Protection District. He held that position from June 2000-January 2006. He began his fire service career in 1974, as a volunteer firefighter in Santa Cruz, Calif. He was hired in 1974 as a seasonal firefighter with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) and promoted to a full-time Fire Apparatus Engineer in April 1977. He held many positions with CalFire during his 25-year career with the agency, including Fire Captain, Training Officer, Battalion Chief, and Division/Assistant Chief. During his years as Battalion and Division Chief, Mr. Asche had the opportunity to serve on several of CalFire's statewide Incident Command teams, where he filled the positions of Operations Section Chief, Information Officer, Liaison Officer, and Deputy Incident Commander. As part of the IC team, Mr. Asche responded to number major wildfires, as well as the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989. He also deployed to the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 as a Plans Chief for California Task Force 3, Urban Search and Rescue Team. His experiences in large emergency incidents, as well as being a member of an Incident Command Team, have benefited his students.
Clyde Avery; Marshall County EMA; Plymouth, IN (2008) Clyde Avery is Director of the Marshall County EMA, a position he has held for three years. Prior to joining EMA, he served 22 years in law enforcement, where he achieved every rank, including Chief. During his law enforcement career, he served as a Firearms Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Instructor Generalist, and Drug Abuse Resistance Education Instructor.
Edwin Baker; Stockdale Fire Department/Wilson County; Stockdale, TX (2009) Edwin Baker has been involved in the fire service for over 25 years. Chief Baker has spent most of his life in Stockdale, Tex., where has been a member of Stockdale VFD and EMS since 1985. He has served as Fire Chief for the City of Stockdale since 2000 and the Fire Marshal for Wilson County since 1999. He is the Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Stockdale and the Health & Public Safety Officer and Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator for Wilson County. Chief Baker has a State Fireman's and Fire Marshals Association of Texas Advanced Firefighter Certification and is a Fire Instructor 1. He is a guest instructor at the Texas A&M Annual Municipal Fire School, as well as hosting and assisting with many area schools throughout the state.
DeLaine Black; US Department of Health and Human Services; Washington, DC (2009) Delaine Black, a Philadelphia PA native, has for the past three years served as a Senior Program Analyst for the Director of the Division of Preparedness Planning, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations. Her day-to-day activities are to develop and assess strategic and conceptual response plans in support of Emergency Support Function #8 (ESF #8, Public Health and Medical) in support of the National Response Framework. During declared emergencies or disasters, she occupies the role of Planning Section lead at the headquarters level operations center. Prior to her employment with DHHS, she served as the Bioterrorism for 850,000 citizens and residents within Prince Georges County, Maryland, a major jurisdiction within the Washington, DC metropolitan area. She was responsible for the development and implementation of mass prophylaxis campaigns as the result of a Weapons of Mass Destruction attack or incident. Activities included multiagency operational plan development, exercises, training, coordination with multiple area jurisdictions and, the implementation of the National Incident Management System for the Prince Georges (Pr. Geos) County Health Department. Under Black’s guidance, Pr. Geos County became the second county in the state of Maryland to obtain the Project Public Health Ready (PPHR) designation bestowed on local health departments for their preparedness planning activities and demonstrations by the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Ms. Black has a vast experience in response efforts, training and interagency coordination. She has and continues to provide ICS instruction to local, state and federal partners.
Richard Blais; Providence Fire Department; Providence, RI (2008) Lt. Richard Blais EMT-C, is a 24-year veteran of the Providence Rhode Island Fire Department, assigned to Rescue 5 (5000+ yearly response ALS EMS unit) and currently detached to the departments Division of Training. Lt. Blais also owns and instructs in his own EMS Training Company (Emergency Medical Training, Inc.) where classes are provided from basic CPR, ACLS, PALS, to EMT Basic and Cardiac level for Rhode Island. Lt. Blais is a 1041 pro-board certified fire instructor, is a Rhode Island Department of Health EMS Instructor Coordinator, and holds numerous certifications in the Fire, EMS and Communications fields. He is a Communication Specialist for RITF1 US&R team in Rhode Island, and one of the members deployed to Hancock Mississippi following hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Matthew Blythe; Michigan State Police; Lansing, MI (2009) Matthew A. Blythe is currently the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) trainer for the Emergency Management Homeland Security Division (EMHSD) of the Michigan State Police. His other duties as assigned include assisting with the training of Michigan’s Professional Emergency Management (PEM), Citizen Corps and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs. In addition to NIMS and ICS, Blythe is also a certified instructor for FEMA’s HSEEP and EMAC courses and is working toward his Master Exercise Practitioner certification.
Joe Paul Boone; Tallapoosa County EMA; New Site, AL (2008) Joe Paul Boone has been Tallapoosa County EMA Director, as well as Safety Manager for the Tallapoosa County Courthouse and Alexander City Annex Courthouse, for the past five and a half years. He has been a volunteer with the New Site Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Service for 34 years, and has been a helicopter medic for four years. Mr. Boone is a certified HAZMAT Technician and a OSHA Level II/Hazardous Materials Operations Technician. He is certified by the American Heart Association to teach CPR, AED, and first aid, and as an instructor for the Citizen Corp Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Mr. Boone works with the US Forestry Department, Wildland Fire division, and is a Red Card holder, as well as a member of the National Weather Board Advisory Committee, and a board member for the Tallapoosa County Farm Service.
Dennis Brennan; Retired, Peace Officer Training Academy; Farmersville, NY (2009, 2008, 2007) Chief Dennis R. Brennan retired from law enforcement in December 2007 after 28 years service. He continues to be the Training Director at the Peace Officer Training Academy located in Hamburg, NY. He is responsible for the supervision and scheduling of 15 Police Instructors in an educational environment. He also is responsible for training of 200 Law Enforcement personnel in various cities, towns, and villages in Western New York and for training law enforcement officers and military personnel (prior to deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan) in a Basic Peace Officer Course, Tactical Patrol Rifle, Combat Pistol, Chemical Agents for Riot Control and Tactical situations, WMD, and many other law enforcement subjects. He has received many awards, including Law Enforcement Trainer of the Year 2004 (Governor’s Office), Freedom Team Salute 2005 (Fighting the Global War on Terrorism), NY Senate Outstanding Service Award 2005, Distinguished Service Award 2005, Recruiting Award 2005, Distinguished Service Award 2006, Presidential Award (Global War on Terrorism) 2006, Community Service Award 2007.
Ronald J. Breznak; Akron Fire Department; Akron OH (2008) Lt. Ronald Breznak is a 24-year veteran of the Akron Fire Department. During his career, Lt. Breznak has served as a Hazmat Team member and trainer for the Summit County Hazmat Response Team as well as the Akron Fire Hazmat Team. He is a member of the Summit County Incident Management Assistance Team and a member of NIMS compliance sub-committee for the Akron Fire Department.
Bill Brobst, Jr.; Columbus Division of Fire; Columbus, OH (2009, 2008) Capt. Brobst is currently a captain with the Columbus, Ohio, Division of Fire, and in charge of their Hazardous Materials Response team. He has been employed as a professional firefighter for over 27 years. Capt. Brobst has specialized in the hazardous materials response field and is an adjunct instructor in both HazMat and Terrorism subjects for The University of Findlay, The National Fire Academy, and The Ohio Fire Academy. He was one of two developers of the Current “Ohio HazMat and WMD Training Series” manuals.
Cathy Broxon-Ball; Whitley County Emergency Management; Columbia City, IN (2009) Cathy Broxon-Ball has been employed as the Emergency Management Director since February 2001. Along with her EM duties of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, she is also the health department preparedness coordinator for Whitley County. Ms. Broxon- Ball has been a volunteer firefighter and first responder for 22 years. She has held the offices of Fire Chief and Asst. Chief, as well as Safety Officer. She is a HAZMAT Tech and runs the hazardous materials response team for Whitley County. Ms. Broxon-Ball became a CDP instructor for the Incident Management series so that she could hold classes within our county for the responders, but has expanded her teaching into a group of instructors that have held classes in Whitley, Noble, Kosciusko, LaGrange, and Huntington counties. Ms. Broxon-Ball is an Indiana Professional Emergency Manager and holds the Certificate of Achievement from FEMA. She is an Indiana Fire Instructor and is always willing to hold a class for anyone that has an interest in obtaining further knowledge in the subjects of ICS, firefighting, and emergency management.
Regis Chavarria; New Mexico State Law Enforcment Training Center; Espanola, NM (2009, 2008) Born and raised in Santa Clara Pueblo New Mexico, Regis Chavarria has been a Public Safety Professional for 19 years. He began his career with the Tribal Police in 1988 as a patrol officer. Chavarria remained with the Tribal Police until March of 1994. During his tenure with the Tribal Police, he attained his Basic Law Enforcement Certification from FLETC in Marina, Arizona, and advanced to the rank of lieutenant. Meanwhile, MR. Chavarria developed an interest in the fire services, and saw the need for fire protection in his community. He now is one of the founding members of Santa Clara Pueblo Fire Department. Chavarria is also a member of Santa Fe Type-3 Incident Management Team and New Mexico’s Task Force One, one of 28 Department of Homeland Security Urban Search and Rescue Teams strategically located across the United States. In 2005, Mr. Chavarria was deployed to New Orleans for hurricane Katrina and Houston for hurricane Rita. In January 2007, Mr. Chavarria transferred from the New Mexico Office of Emergency Management to the New Mexico State Law Enforcement Training Center as a staff instructor in the Critical Incident Response Training Bureau. Mr. Chavarria’s primary duties are to coordinate the popular Critical Incident Response Management Training Program, the Hazardous Materials Training Program, and the National Incident Management System’s (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS). Mr. Chavarria still lives in Santa Clara Pueblo with his wife of more than 17 years, Claire. He is the proud father of Galvin, a young adult, teenage daughter Danielle, and three-year-old daughter Kiara. Mr. Chavarria stays active with the Santa Clara Pueblo Fire Department.
Russell Clark; Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy; Casper, WY (2009) Russell Clark is retired from active duty with the US Army after 20 years, with an additional seven years of service in the US Army Reserve. He is currently a WMD Instructor at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy and the Wyoming Homeland Security Training Coordinator.
Grant Coffey; Portland Fire & Rescue; Portland, OR (2008) Grant Coffey is a 33-year veteran of Portland Fire & Rescue, with 30 of those years also spent as a fire service instructor at Portland Community College. For the past four years, he has also been the HAZMAT Team Coordinator. Mr. Coffey is also a state-certified radiological safety officer.
John Commander; EMS Training Officer; Riverside, CA (2008) John Commander is a 19-year veteran with the San Bernardino County Fire Department and serves within their Training Division under Special Operations and EMS. His current position there is EMS Training Officer, prior to that he was their EMS Coordinator/Captain. Mr. Commander is a licensed paramedic and has over 32 years of EMS and disaster response experience in both private and public sectors. He has multiple certifications in several other disciplines, such as public education, fire prevention, emergency medical care, hazardous materials and terrorism. His educational background consists of the following degrees: AS degrees in Emergency Medical Care, Fire Technology and Fire Administration; Bachelors of Vocational Education and Masters in Education. Mr. Commander teaches part-time at Crafton Hills College as an adjunct facility within the Public Safety and Services department (Fire and EMS) since 1988. He is a certified California State Fire Training Master Instructor since 1997 and instructs with the California Specialize Training Institute and The National Fire Academy periodically in the field of ICS, mass causality decontamination, medical care and response. He is also the Lead Training Officer for CA-2 (San Bernardino) Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) and has been a member since 1986 and is part of the newly formed Human Health Services (HHS) Disaster Medical Operational Detachment (DMOD) which interfaces with military medical and air evacuation components.
Suzanne B. Conklin; Roudebush VAMC; Indianapolis, IN (2006) Suzanne Conklin has 32 years as a Registered Nurse, holding clinical, administrative, and management positions in emergency, acute rehabilitation, and pulmonary medicine. The majority of her nursing experience has been in the emergency area and she has held certifications in emergency nursing and nursing administration. Ms. Conklin was active in the Army Nurse Corps Reserves for 16 years, attaining the rank of Major; she was an instructor for the Emergency Medical Technicians 91B Course and Combat Trauma Courses, and Officer in Charge of the Ambulance detachment attached to the 337th General Hospital. Ms. Conklin has been with the federal government for 16 years. She has been in her current position as the Area Emergency Manager (AEM) in the Southern Tier of VISN 11 for three years. Ms. Conklin is the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) liaison for the VA Federal Coordinating Center (Roudebush VAMC, Indianapolis, IN).  As an AEM for the VHA, Ms. Conklin has been deployed to assist with logistical and administrative support for hurricane relief in Florida during Hurricane Charley, and in Biloxi, Hammond, New Orleans and Martinsburg in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. She teaches Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) classes in Indiana and has been an evaluator and observer in numerous community disaster exercises, including the state-wide exercise in Alaska. She was recently instrumental in revising and updating Appendix H to VHA Handbook 0320, Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS).
Chance Corbett; Auburn University; Auburn, AL (2009) Chance Corbett is the director of emergency management for Auburn University Department of Public Safety and Security, with responsibilities including planning for and managing emergencies and disasters that affect Auburn. Corbett received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice and master's degree in education from Troy State University. He is a POST-certified law enforcement officer, and an Alabama-certified paramedic and firefighter. He is also nationally creditialed as a Certified Emergency Manager. Prior to working for Auburn University, he served seven years as the Homeland Security/EMA Director for Russell county, Ala., and has over 16 years of law enforcement experience. He is a member of numerous national public safety and emergency management organizations.
Michael Cyphers; City of Henderson; Henderson, NV (2008) Michael Cyphers has been Emergency Manager for the City of Henderson since 1999, responsible for preparing the City for response to and recovery from any type of disaster, natural or man-made. Additionally, he has been training City Police and Fire personnel in response to Weapons of Mass Destruction and works closely on all matters related to Homeland Security. Prior to working for Henderson, Mr. Cyphers spent 10 years as the Chemical Engineer for the Clark County Fire Department. In that position, he utilized his chemical expertise to inspect chemical facilities, train department personnel, respond to emergencies, and develop policies and procedures for a myriad of different events from blasting and implosions to aboveground gas tanks. Following the massive 1991 chlorine release from a plant in Henderson, Mr. Cyphers drafted the legislation that currently mandates Shelter-In-Place drills for all private and public schools. Mr. Cyphers has spent his life in Southern Nevada, graduating from Bonanza High School, and earning his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Phillip R. Dawalt, Jr.; Indiana Wesleyan University; Anderson, IN (2009) Robert Dawalt presently teaches criminal justice, corrections and history at Ivy Tech Community College. A retired private practice and civil attorney, Mr. Dawalt served in the Ohio and Indiana National Guards from 1969-1982, and previously taught at Indiana University, Indiana Wesleyan University, and and Malone College. He holds a BA from Marion College (Indiana Wesleyan University), a JD from Akron University School of Law, a MS in criminal justice from University of Cincinnati, and is presently pursuing a DPA from the University of Baltimore.
Roger Deardorff; Athens Police Department; Athens, OH (2008) Roger Deardorff is a patrolman with the Athens, Ohio, police department and a member of the Richland Area Fire Department (Chief 1998 – 2001). He earned his associate degree in police science from Hocking College (Nelsonville, OH). Mr. Deardorff is also an adjunct instructor for the Ohio Fire Academy and is certified to instruct in Ohio Basic Police Academies through the Ohio Police Officers Training Commission. His emergency services career began in 1979 as a member of the Richland Area Fire Department and as an Emergency Medical Technician. He also worked as a paramedic with the Southeast Ohio Emergency Medical Service (SEOEMS). In 1979, he left SEOEMS to join the Athens Police Department. During his career with the Athens Police Department, he has held several positions including Investigator, Field Training Officer, and department instructor. He was instrumental in the start of the city’s first aid and CPR program, which he still leads over 15 years later. Over the past several years, Mr. Deardorff has also been active in Athens County’s Emergency Management as a trainer and he helped start the county’s Emergency Response Team. This team is trained in hazardous materials and incident command and is available to assist departments in the area with these needs. He has also taught several incident command classes, as well as other related classes to several departments in Southeast Ohio. Mr. Deardorff has attended several classes at the Center for Domestic Preparedness and has been through the COBRA Training twice.
Don Deschaine; Public Safety Training Academy; Huntsville, AL (2008) Captain Don Deschaine is a 23-year veteran with Huntsville Fire & Rescue, in Huntsville, AL. He has been a Certified Fire Service Instructor since 1996. He has multiple Certifications in several other disciplines. He holds an A.A.S. degree in Fire Science. Capt. Deschaine has been instructing Incident Command at all levels since 2004. He received his city’s Outstanding Service Award in 2008 for bringing the Police and Fire Service to 100 percent compliance for NIMS Incident Command System training mandates. Capt. Deschaine has also Instructed for the Military, Private Sector, and multiple Non-governmental agencies. He also fills the position of Logistics Section Chief for the North Alabama All Hazards Incident Management Team.
Steven Dillon; Highland County EMA; Hillsboro, OH (2009, 2008) Steven Dillon is a 29-year veteran retiree of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Most recently, he guided the agency through its implementation of the National Incident Management System while serving for six years as the staff officer responsible for preparedness, exercises, and training. In addition to these duties, he was a law enforcement trainer for 10 years and an officer for 26 years. He served on the department's first tactical team and assisted with the implementation of the state's multi-agency interoperable radio communications system (MARCS). Mr. Dillon has responded to numerous emergency events, ranging from Type I events on the Gulf coast to regional and local events in the Midwest and Ohio. Prior to his staff officer duties, Mr. Dillon served as a Wildlife Officer Supervisor of a region in southwest Ohio. His own law enforcement roots began with assignments in Morrow and Licking counties, where his duties included the whole spectrum of law enforcement and environmental response and enforcement. Mr. Dillon currently volunteers with the Highland County EMA-DHS as volunteer coordinator and trainer. He also serves as a Logistics Chief on the Ohio Type III IMT and is an Emergency Management Specialist for Tetra Tech's Cincinnati office. He is an HSEEP instructor and recently acquired his Master Exercise Practitioner certification through FEMA's Emergency Management Institute.
Eric R. Dison; Minneapolis Police Department; Minneapolis, MN (2007) Sgt. Eric Dison has been an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department for 18 years. He was recently promoted to the rank of Sergeant and is assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division. He has been assigned to the Second Precinct Patrol Division and has been involved in departmental training for Use of Force (Firearms, Taser, Impact weapons, Chemical Aerosol Restraint), as well as Weapons of Mass Destruction and Incident Command Structure. He has attended numerous courses at the CDP and completed the COBRA training twice and the SAVER program once.
Robert Ditch; Synaptic; Mesa, AZ (2008, 2007) Formerly the Director of Education, Training & Exercises for Standing Joint Force Headquarters – Homeland Security/U.S. Northern Command, Colonel Ditch led the creation of U.S. Northern Command’s academic education/training and exercise programs while training the arriving Command’s staff. Before that, he served as the Director of Plans on the national WMD/Counter-Terrorism Response Unit, Joint Task Force–Civil Support. He contributed to the setting up of both organizations and serving on the U.S. Northern Command Planning Implementation Teams. Upon retirement he became a Homeland Security & Terrorism/WMD and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response instructor/advisor; conceptualized the National Exercise Schedule for the Department of Homeland Security, and Executive Summary Guide - National Response Plan for the Department of Justice.  He is currently both the President for the Award Winning Emergency Services & Homeland Security Education Company – Synaptic; and a curriculum coordinator forthe AMA’s National Disaster Life Support Consortium. He is also the Planning Section Chief a Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) andRegional Medical Metropolitan Response System (MMRS) Medical Strike Team. Heserves as a Planning Section Chief for a regional U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Incident Response Coordination Team - Advanced (IRCT-A) team.  He has taught Emergency Management, Disaster Management, EMS-Hospital/Mass Casualty and Medical HAZMAT Response, Incident Management, Command & Control (C2 and ICS 300/400) courses for five universities, two regional/national fire academies, four States’ Emergency Management Agencies, and a paramedic training center; and participates in the delivery of many field and command post/table top exercises. He is/has been a consultant in emergency/disaster services for numerous large industries. A published author and National Public Radio talk show guest in emergency services/terrorism/WMD response, he is also a Doctorate of Education candidate and recipient of numerous State Governor and National level awards for teaching and homeland security education development.
Thomas Doering; North Dakota Association of Counties; Bismarck, ND (2009) Thomas H. Doering is currently the County Coordinator, Local Government Homeland Security Training and Exercise Program for the North Dakota Association of Counties. He served 24 years with the North Dakota Army National Guard, the last 14 as Operations Sergeant & Demolitions Instructor, with three as Battalion NBC NCO. He also served three years as a police officer, two as a volunteer firefighter, and as Public Assistance and Exercise Program Specialist with North Dakota Division of Emergency Management. Mr. Doering has a bachelor's degree in management and an associate's in police science.
Scott Dolan; Fayette County EMA/HAZMAT; Uniontown, PA (2006) Scott Dolan has been active in emergency services since 1991 and is currently employed as an EMS specialist for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Prehospital Care team. Mr. Dolan is a certified PA DOH Paramedic Instructor, AHA ACLS & BLS instructor, EPA Hazardous Materials Technician, EMA staff member, EMA/911 Training instructor, CISM Team member, as well as a Firefighter I and Vehicle Rescue Technician. Mr. Dolan serves as Chief of the Hiller Volunteer Fire Company, as well as a HAZMAT and EMA Deputy for the Fayette County Emergency Management Agency in his spare time.
Dennis K. Dudley; Frederick Police Department; Frederick, MD (2008) Lt. Dudley is a 15-year veteran of the Frederick Police Department, currently commanding the Professional Services Division. He is the primary WMD, Incident Response to Suicide Bombers and Prevention and Response to Suicide Bombers instructor. Previously, he instructed in Defensive Tactics and Field Training. Prior to joining the Frederick Police, Lt. Dudley was a commissioned officer in the US Army Infantry, where he completed service as a Major.
Jeffrey Evans; Ivy Tech Community College; Anderson, IN (2009) Jeffrey Evans served 20 years as an aircraft technician and environmental and health/safety manager in the US Navy, where he was involved in the Desert Shield, Gulf War, and 9/11 Campaigns. Following retirement from the US Navy in 2003, he earned a BS in Environmental Management and served as the Deputy Director of Emergency Management for Delaware County, Ind. for three years. Mr. Evans is currently teaching at Ivy Tech Community College and working towards a master's degree.
Gloria Jean Fluck; Ephrata Community Hospital; Ephrata, PA (2006) Gloria Jean Fluck is the Director of Emergency Nursing Services at Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. She is Secretary of the Hospital Committee of the South Central Pennsylvania Task Force, has a certificate in Disaster Nursing from St. Louis University, is an AHA BCLS and ACLS instructor, an AED instructor, an instructor in the St. Joseph Hospital Paramedic program, and a HazMat for Healthcare instructor. She is a member of the Emergency Nurses' Association, a board member of the Northern Lancaster County Medical Transport Service, and a Medical Advisory Board Member for the Emergency Health Services Federation.
Bruce Freeman; Alabama Department of Emergency Management; Decatur, AL (2008) BS in Chemistry, University of Alabama, 1980; Hazmat Technician/Hazardous Waste Site Worker; EPA-certified Clandestine Lab Instructor; FEMA-certified ICS instructor; 25 years of professional experience in the field of environmental regulation; 15+ years with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, serving the last 10+ years as the ADEM Emergency Response Coordinator and now the Chief of the Office of Emergency Response; ADEM representative to the EPA/USCG Region 4 Regional Response Team; ESF 10 Incident Commander for Alabama for both hurricanes Ivan and Katrina .
Richard Gallas; Richmond Township Fire Protection District; Richmond, IL (2009) Richard Gallas is the fire chief for the Richmond Township Fire Protection District. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin Parkside. He has worked in the private sector for over 20 years, and in the fire service for 17.
Romel Garcia; McAllen Fire Department; Welasco, TX (2006) Romel Garcia is a 10-year veteran of the McAllen Fire Department, holding the rank of driver with the Hazardous Materials/Rescue truck. Mr. Garcia is a certified Hazardous Materials Technician and an Intermediate Instructor. Mr. Garcia is also certified as an Advanced Firefighter and Advanced Fire Inspector. Garcia's career began as a volunteer with the Mercedes, Texas Fire Department. He attended the Rio Grande Valley Fire Academy.
Charles Garris; Pleasanton Fire Department; Jourdanton, TX (2009) Charles Garris has been in the fire service for 31 years, serving as the Chief of Pleasanton Fire Department for the past 18. He is also the Emergency Management Coordinator and Fire Marshal for Atacosa County, positions he has held for the past 15 years. Chief Garris holds a state peace officer's commission and is a state-certified arson investigator. He is a State Fireman's and Fire Marshals Association of Texas Level II instructor, teaching at the Texas A&M municipal fire school, as well as several area and local schools. Chief Garris also served on the San Antonio College Fire Academy Board, which formulated the curriculum for the college's fire science program. He has been married for 40 years and reared three sons.
Adam Groupe; Evansville-Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Agency; Evansville, IN (2009) Adam Groupe began working with the Evansville-Vanderburgh Co. Emergency Management Agency in the spring of 1997, as a volunteer. In December 1997, he was hired as Deputy Director. Mr. Groupe comes from northern Illinois, where he has worked in law enforcement, emergency medical services, emergency management, and the fire service. He has been an Emergency Medical Technician since 1986, and is currently certified in both Illinois and Indiana. He is a certified Professional Emergency Manager through the State of Indiana, and has completed the FEMA Professional Development Series. He has over 26 years experience in public safety planning, training and exercise. He is currently Training and Exercise Officer for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s District 10 Response Task Force and District Planning Council. Mr. Groupe is an Adjunct Instructor in Emergency Management and Planning at Vincennes University and is a Type III All Hazards Communications Unit Leader Instructor for the Office of Emergency Communications of the USDHS. He is an Authorized Instructor for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Wayne Gurnee; Miami-Dade County GSA; Miami, FL (2006) Wayne Gurnee has been a Miami-Dade County employee for 25 years and has managed the critical physical plant infrastructure facilities housing 9-1-1, fire and police dispatch, county-wide radio, and information technology for the past 15 years. He has been involved in domestic preparedness training since the early 1990s.
Larry Hansen; Oklahoma City Fire Department; Oklahoma City, OK (2006) Chief Larry Hansen has been a member of the Oklahoma City Fire Department since 1987.  He promoted through the ranks of suppression having been a Hazmat Station Officer and District Chief 603B. He is an EMT-D, EMS Instructor, Hazmat Technician and Instructor, DEA Certified in Clandestine Lab Operations and member of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Chief Hansen was promoted to Battalion Chief of Operations in November of 2004.  As Battalion Chief of Operations, he supervises the Emergency Medical Services, Special Operations (Hazmat, Technical Rescue, and Water Operations), and the Fire Training work section. Chief Hansen is a member of several important committees including the UASI, LPPC, LEPC, Safety and Health, CBRNE, and the HSEEP.
Steve Haston; Noblesville Fire Department (2008) Steve Haston has been with the Noblesville Fire Department since 1987, and held the position of Hazardous Materials Coordinator from 1994-1996. In that capacity, he developed a team of over 40 hazardous materials technicians and was instrumental in the development of the Hamilton County Hazardous Materials Task Force, which he coordinated for seven years. From 1996-2003, Mr. Haston was Noblesville Fire Department's Assistant Fire Chief of Operations, responsible for providing training to all Noblesville City employees on an annual and as-needed basis in the areas of safety and hazardous materials. Mr. Haston also provided firefighters with operations- and technician-level training, and a variety of emergency response- and safety-related topics. His duties also included the preparation and review of several documents/manuals and many other tasks such as: Rules and Regulations, General Orders, SOP's, MSDS, Evacuation Plans, Hazards and Risk Analysis, Mapping, Employee Medicals, Grants, Budget, Applicable Safety Plans for 4 fire stations, Rope Rescue Team, Dive Team, Confined Space Team, Computer System Administrator, Public Relations and Development of Counter Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction Plans and Bomb Management Plan, Applicable requirements of OSHA, NFPA and Multi Hazards Mitigation Plan. He also served as coordinator between all county agencies, including Fire and EMS departments, Sheriff and Police departments, Elected Officials, State Officials and three Dispatch Centers. Mr. Haston is an active member of the Hamilton County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), where he's been the lead planner and assisted in the preparation of 15 county mock incidents, in preparing the annual response plan and in the coordination of the TIER II reporting. Haston also provide assistance to many of the local facilities that handle hazardous chemicals.
Greg Hayes; Roseville Fire Department; Prior Lake, MN (2009) Greg Hayes has been in the emergency service for over 17 years where he has held the ranks of Firefighter, Fire Officer and Assist Chief. Mr. Hayes' career has centered on instruction, where he now serves as a fire/EMS service instructor for a number of Minnesota agencies, as well as a few outstate colleges. He is a board member for the Minnesota Fire Service Certification Board and sits on a number of advisory committees in Emergency Management. Currently, he works for a small education and planning firm in Minneapolis, Minn. and serves as a part time Captain for the Roseville Fire Department in Minnesota.
Brady Helms; Indiana State Department of Health; Boonville, IN (2009, 2008) Brady Helms is the District 10 Training & Exercise Coordinator for the Indiana State Department of Health, and also volunteers as Chief Deputy Director for Spencer County (Indiana) EMA. Helms has been involved in the emergency management field for seven years. He is also an EMT-B, a Hazmat Technician, an Indiana Professional Emergency Manager (PEM), and a member of Spencer County’s Search & Rescue and Water Rescue teams. Helms has been a CDP Certified ICS Instructor for four years and has taught Emergency Management and Planning at Vincennes University for three years. Helms is also a CERT and HSEEP instructor for the State of Indiana. He has also served as Logistics Section Chief for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s District 10 Emergency Services Task Force.
Joey Henderson; FEMA; Washington, DC (2008) Mr. Henderson is an Emergency Management Specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He works to coordinate emergency preparedness planning for federal agencies within the National Capital Region. His primary focus is training and Exercises within the region. Prior to joining FEMA, Mr. Henderson was a Training and Exercise Administrator for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and the chair of the National Capital Regions (NCR) Training and Exercise Operations Panel (ETOP).  He works on designing and conducting state wide exercises. From 2006-2007, Mr. Henderson was the Deputy Director of Operations for the Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management. He was responsible for the City’s Emergency Operations Center and agency coordination at large scale emergencies. Mr. Henderson also made policy decisions relating to emergency preparedness and homeland security and managed homeland security grant funds. From 2000 to 2005, he was a Fire Fighter/Paramedic for the City of Baltimore. He spent his time in the department in East Baltimore in one of the busiest firehouses in the city. During his time in the fire service, Mr. Henderson received three Distinguish Unit Citations and one Exemplary Performance award for rescuing a family from a submerged car during a flash flood. Mr. Henderson also received a Mayor’s Citation for his efforts in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Henderson holds a BS in Fire Science Management from the University of Maryland University College and an MS in Management from Johns Hopkins University. He received a certificate from the Fire and EMS Executive Leadership Program at Johns Hopkins University.
Raymond Highlands; Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; Harrisburg, PA (2007) Raymond E. Highlands works as an Emergency Management Specialist (EMS) for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Central Area Office. He is directly responsible for oversight of the counter-terrorism program of three terrorism task forces and 23 of 67 counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining PEMA Central Area, Mr. Highlands served as an EMS Watch Officer in the State Emergency Operations Center. He has served on multiple work groups and committees that have reviewed and submitted recommended changes to Commonwealth laws, state directives, policies and procedures for emergency management, emergency response and counter-terrorism. Mr. Highlands has deployed too many counties on multiple state- and federal-declared disasters as a Liaison Officer to devastated counties and has setup and operated multiple Disaster Recovery Centers.
James Howson; Booz Allen Hamiton; Gaithersburg, MD (2009) James Howson is an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton in the area of health care systems emergency preparedness and medical counter terrorism. He has been involved in the emergency services and health care since 1978, starting as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and has served as a field medical provider at both the EMT and Paramedic level. He has worked as a hospital administrator dealing with hospital disaster response and emergency preparedness since 1997. Mr. Howson is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, where he taught in the paramedic training program, and has taught at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in their counter narcotics and tactical medical support program. He also teaches for the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service - Office of Protective Medicine on the subjects of tactical and protective medicine. Mr. Howson is a national faculty member for the Counter Narcotics & Terrorism Operational Medical Support (CONTOMS) program. He has served as a Tactical Paramedic since 1992 and helped to establish the Tactical Medical Support program for the Bergen County police Department, as well as the New Jersey Hospital Association’s Department of Emergency Preparedness; he served as its first director. Mr. Howson has been a member of the National Disaster Medical System since 1995 and has responded to numerous national security events, such as the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Mr. Howson has lectured locally, nationally, and internationally on the subjects of hospital disaster and emergency preparedness, tactical medicine and Pediatric Issues in WMD events.
Thomas D. Ignelzi; New Orleans Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness; New Orleans, LA (2009) Thomas Ignelzi has been serving as an Emergency Manager with the New Orleans' Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness since May 2007. After more than three years as the Planning Section Chief, Mr. Ignelzi was moved to the Operations Section Chief position. This undertaking follows more than thirty-three years of active duty experience in United States Marine Corps with demonstrated expertise in planning, exercise design, finance, training, employee relations, and quality control. Mr. Ignelzi served as the Area Commander for the first ever successful City Assisted Evacuation Plan directing the movement of more than 20,000 transportation needy individuals out of harm’s way in less than 38 hours in front of Hurricane Gustav in August 2008.  Mr. Ignelzi became the city of New Orleans’ first Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), recognized through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and Louisiana Emergency Manager (LEM), recognized by the Louisiana Emergency Managers’ Association (LEPA). He has a Master’s of Science in Public Administration with an emphasis in Emergency Management from Capella University, and a Bachelors of Business Administration from National University. He has served as an adjunct instructor with University of New Orleans for the past three years, and serves as an Indirect Authorized Trainer for the Center for Domestic Preparedness for delivering Incident Command System (ICS) 100 through 400 level, Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Awareness Level (AWR), Continuity of Operations (COOP), Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), and more. Mr. Ignelzi has been a featured speaker at the World Disaster Conference in Toronto, Canada, June 2009, the FEMA Region III RISC Conference in Philadelphia, PA, June 2009, and the 2008 National Organization on Disabilities Special Needs Conference.
Fred Jackson; Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department; Cuyahoga Falls, OH (2009) Fred Jackson currently serves as the Assistant Chief/Paramedic with a municipal fire department providing fire supression, emergency medical services, and technical rescue operations. Chief Jackson also serves as a Task Force Leader for the Ohio Regional USAR teams. Chief Jackson has served on NFPA 1670 and 1006 standards committees and the Board of Advisors for the International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists.
Scott Johnson; Portland Police Bureau; Portland, OR (2007) Sgt. Johnson began his police career in 1981 as a Fairfax County, Va. Law Enforcement Explorer, then as an Auxiliary Police Officer while attending George Mason University (BA, Government and Politics). In 1986, he was hired by the Portland Police Bureau and promoted to Sergeant in 1993. He has served as a Detective Sergeant in two precincts, leading search warrant teams of detectives and officers. He was assigned to the SERT (SWAT) team as the liason to the Hostage Negotiation Team. He worked in Internal Affairs, and was selected to move to the Emergency Management Unit to help the Bureau prepare, train, and participate in TOPOFF4. He is currently the senior patrol sergeant on the Bureau and leads a squad of the Rapid Response Team, the Bureau's crowd-management unit.
Hidekatsu Kajitani; West Terre Haute Police Department; West Terre Haute, IN (2008) Hidekatsu Kajitani holds a BS in Criminology and Psychology and an MS in Criminology from Indiana State University. He currently works as a paramedic in the emergency room at Union Hospital in Terre Haute. Mr. Kajitani has been a member of the Sugar Creek Fire Department since 1999, serving as a firefighter, investigator, and technical rescue team member, specializing in rope/water rescue. He is also a member of the regional HAZMAT team as a Hazardous Materials Technician. Sworn in as a law enforcement officer in 2001, Mr. Kajitani is currently assigned to Patrol Division of the West Terre Haute Police Department.
Michael Kasper; Mackinac County Emergency Management; St. Ignace, MI (2009) Michael Kasper joined the Clark Twp. Volunteer Fire Department in Cedarville, Mich. in 1985, where he is still an active Captain. When his local volunteer ambulance corp. was short handed, Mr. Kasper became an attendant, then an EMT, from 1986 to 2001. In 1989, he joined Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy reserve, transferring to Chippewa County Sheriff’s Department in 1992 to 2003. Since 2007, Mr. Kasper has been Mackinac County Emergency Management Coordinator and ICS instructor. Mr. Kasper quickly recognized the need for ICS training due to centralized training creating gaps in the predominantly volunteer departments of Mackinac County. He has used this system for many years and truly believes in it. Mr. Kasper enjoys instructing this system, relaying to my students how they can use it to make their everyday tasks seem simple. Word soon spread about his eagerness to “take it to the people,” prompting calls from neighboring counties and Michigan Homeland Security Planning Group Region 8. Mr. Kasper would to give a big “thank you” to a friend and mentor, Tim McKee, Chippewa County Emergency Management Coordinator and 911 Director, and to my students: remember, ”when IC, SLIP and FLOP.”
Tony Keith; Presbyterian Hospital Matthews; Marshville, NC (2008) Tony Keith serves as the Emergency Management and Disaster Preparedness Coordinator for Presbyterian Hospital Matthews. He has been actively involved with city, regional, and state level emergency preparedness planning and training for six years. Mr. Keith served as the team leader for the State Medical Assistance Team for the Metrolina region in North Carolina. While serving in his role, he has been deployed to Mississippi for relief during Hurricaine Katrina/Rita, where he was in charge of Ambulatory Medical Care and saw over 300 patients per day. Mr. Keith was also a member of a hospital relief mission to Beaufort, North Carolina, to assist with overflow for a hospital during a 1.5 million visitor festival. Mr. Keith graduated from Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in 2002, and is also an Emergency Department Registered Nurse of seven years. As the Emergency Management and Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, he has served as the hospital facilitator in the 2008 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Mass Casualty Exercise. Mr. Keith currently serves as a non-resident trainer for Homeland Security Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness Course, delivering training to hospitals, EMS, Police, and Fire agencies. He is certified as an ADLS and BDLS instructor as well as HAZMAT Life Support instructor. Mr. Keith is certified as an instructor in Non-Violent Crisis Intervention which provides hospital ED staff as well as security, techniques in verbal de-escalation as well as safe physical interventions. He has trained at the US Department of Homeland Security training site in Anniston, Alabama. Mr. Keith serves as the on-site trainer for OSHA’s First Receiver Operations and Awareness level course, at all Novant Health facilities.
Daniel Lake; North Las Vegas Police Department; North Las Vegas, NV (2006) Responder Sergeant Daniel F. Lake began his 24-year career in corrections and law enforcement with the Hawaii Departement of Public Safety in 1984. Sgt. Lake obtained his Ph.D. in public administration in 2002, and his B.S. in criminal justice in 1999. A graduate of the 209th session of the FBI National Academy, Sgt. Lake's personal mission statement "to ensure the vision of the organization and commitment to the community today and into the future" personifies his commitment to his chosen profession.
Jason LeMaster; Hamilton County Health Department; Noblesville, IN (2009) Jason LeMaster is a 1993 graduate of Ball State University, with a major in natural resources/environmental protection. Since receiving his degree, he has worked in the field of public health and is currently employed by the Hamilton County Health Department as the Director of Environmental Health. Mr. LeMaster obtained his Registered Environmental Health Specialist certification in 1995, and he maintains certifications as a NIMS/ICS instructor and an Indiana Fire Instructor. He is a Hazardous Materials Specialist-level first responder for the Madison County/Dist. 6 Hazardous Materials Response Team, and currently serves as Assistant Chief for the Frankton Volunteer Fire Department in Frankton, Ind.
Valerie Luchauer; Lawrence County Emergency Management; Bedford, IN (2009, 2008) Valerie Luchauer has been the Emergency Management Director for Lawrence County Emergency Management since 1991, beginning her service as assistant to the director. She has taught numerous Incident Command classes to local responders, as well as responders in neighboring counties. She has been very active in her district with exercises, plans, and leading the formation of the District Eight Planning Council. She was instrumental in organizing a District Incident Management Team, made up of many different agencies from seven counties. Ms. Luchauer leads several task forces for planning and exercising activities in her community. She has developed several event-specific plans, training, and exercises. She is also the 911 Director for Lawrence County, and, during her time as director, equipment has been upgraded, new radios purchased, and the process of combining two dispatch centers has begun.
Matt Luther; Monterey County Sheriff’s Office; Salinas, CA (2008) Matt Luther has been employed with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office for 13 years and is currently assigned as a Detective Sergeant in our Coroner Bureau. Throughout his career, he has conducted training in several different areas of Law Enforcement, not only as a part of in-service training, but for academy recruits as well. For the past three years, he and his partner and co-honoree, Jennifer West, have conducted training for their office, as well as several other local and outside jurisdiction agencies that needed to meet their ICS requirements. Mr. Luther has taught basic NIMS/SEMS as well as ICS 100, 200, 300 and 400. The training is challenging yet enjoyable and he looks forward to teaching it in the future.
James A. Lyle; Highland County Homeland Security and Emergency Management; Highland County, OH (2009) James Lyle is a retired fire captain with 33 years service, and remains a part-time firefighter/EMT for Paint Creek Joint Fire/EMS. He is a certified HAZMAT Technician and Ohio Public Safety Instructor, as well as a 25-year certified Ohio Peace Officer. Capt. Lyle currently serves as director of Highland County Homeland Security and Emergency Management, a position he's held for 21 years. He is an instructor of NIMS/ICS; WMD Awarness, Operations, and Technician; various levels of NFPA firefighting; aircraft fire and rescue; and all HAZMAT levels for several vocational schools.
Stephen Mahaley; San Mateo County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security; Redwood City, CA (2009) Stephen Mahaley CEM is a District Coordinator with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, a position he has held for four years. He is a retired firefighter with the US Air Force and has a degree in fire administration from Cogswell Polytechnical College. Mr. Mahaley has earned the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) designation from the International Association of Emergency Managers.
Brian Main; Southern Platte Fire District; Parkville, MO (2008) Brian Main is a captain of an engine company with the Southern Platte Fire District, a trainer/technician with the Northland Regional HAZMAT/WMD Team, and a firefighter with Riverside Public Safety. In his spare time, he instructs firefighting, hazardous materials, incident command, and technical rescue courses for Mid-America Regional Council, University of Missouri Fire & Rescue Training Institute, and Blue River Community College. Mr. Main holds an AAS degree from Penn Valley Community College and a BA from Western Illinois University. He holds certifications in firefighting, hazardous materials, technical rescue, and instructing.
Edward Martin; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Alexandria, VA (2008) Edward Martin is a Law Enforcement Instructor with the Federal Protective Service (FPS) Training Division at the ICE-HQ, CTF in Alexandria, Va., providing classroom instruction on a multitude of subject matters, including Continuity of Operations Training (COOP), Radiological/Nuclear Awareness, and American Red Cross. Mr. Martin's audience of instruction includes federal agencies and contractors both internal and external components of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ensure that there is consistency amongst the components.
Bill Mayfield, RN; Memorial Health System; Colorado Springs, CO (2009) Bill Mayfield is the Emergency Response Coordinator for Memorial Health System, and has been an RN for 27 years, specializing in emergency and critical care medicine. Mr. Mayfield manages hazardous materials, emergency medical services, and emergency response programs at Memorial Health; he is a key member of the system’s Emergency Management team. Mr. Mayfield also is a Hazardous Materials Technician specializing in Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), toxicology, and decontamination. He is certified as a WMD Awareness instructor by the Center for Domestic Preparedness (U.S. Dept of Homeland Security), and has live agent experience with chemical weapons. Mr. Mayfield serves as the lead healthcare discipline representative for the South Central Colorado All Hazards Region. He actively participates in committees and focus groups related to homeland security and all hazards preparedness on local, state, and national levels. Mr. Mayfield’s awards and honors include Medal of Valor, Lifesaving medal (six counts), Meritorious Service Award, Commander’s Commendation (two counts), Nightingale Award nominee (two counts), Outstanding Nurse of the Year (two counts), Outstanding Community Service Award (three counts), Healthcare Professions Educator of the Year Award, and American Red Cross Nurse Designation. Finally, Mr. Mayfield is a recognized Incident Command Instructor, EMS Instructor, and Fire/Emergency Services Instructor-Trainer. He has personally delivered over 10,000 hours of education to healthcare providers and first responders from across the nation in both military and civilian sectors.
Mac McClellan; Lake County Homeland Security; Baldwin, MI (2009) Appointed Lake County Civil Defense director October 28, 1975; still serve as Emergency Management director. Public school teacher 1975- 2005. 911/EM Director 2004-2008.
Paul McGinn; Chicago Police Department; Chicago, IL (2009) Paul McGinn is a 12-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, where he currently serves as an Instructor/Police Officer for the Education and Training Division, Terrorism Awareness and Response Academy (TARA). Prior to this assignment, he was assigned to district patrol, the Public Housing Unit, and the Counter Terrorism Section. Officer McGinn also served as an Intelligence Specialist (IS) with the United States Naval Reserve under the Directorate of Intelligence, Counter Terrorism, Counter Intelligence (IDX). Officer McGinn is proficient in Transit-oriented Screening of Passengers by Observational Techniques (TO SPOT), WMD recognition and response, recognizing fraudulent identification documents, conducting threat and security assessments, counter-surveillance measures, field intelligence/investigations and Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings (IRTB). Officer McGinn has multiple instructor certifications from the state, local and federal government. Officer McGinn received his education from Western Illinois University in law enforcement and justice administration.
Timothy McVey; Columbus Division of Police; Dublin, OH (2009) Sergeant Timothy McVey has been with the Columbus Division of Police for 26 years. Sergeant McVey has held positions in the Patrol and Traffic Bureaus and is currently assigned to the Homeland Security Section, Emergency Management Unit, since 2000.  Duties in the Emergency Management Unit include the planning and preparedness of the Division of Police and City of Columbus to respond to disasters, acts of terrorism and major special events. Sergeant McVey works closely with local, county, state, federal and private organizations that would have a role in planning for and responding to a disaster. Sergeant McVey’s duties include the management of the Division of Police and City of Columbus Emergency Operation Center. Sergeant McVey has completed in excess of 900 hours of specialized training in emergency management and terrorism planning and response, and incident command and is involved in conducting disaster and terrorism response exercises for the City of Columbus and Franklin County. Sergeant McVey is an instructor for ICS/NIMS and other homeland security topics. Sergeant McVey is the recipient of the Division of Police Medal of Merit, Blue Star Award, five Special Commendations, the 2007 City of Columbus Mayors Award of Excellence, 2008 Columbus Civitan Award Recipient and a Sheriffs Commendation from the Franklin County Sheriffs Office. Sergeant McVey is a veteran of the United States Air Force.
Robert Medford; Camden Fire Department; Camden, AR (2009) Robert Medford is a Lieutenant with the City of Camden Fire Department in Camden, Ark. He has been teaching for the Arkansas Fire Academy and the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management since 2004. Lt. Medford has a degree in fire and emergency response and a degree in fire administration from Southern Arkansas University Tech. I have been married for 22 years to Gena and we have two children, a 21-year-old son who is an EMT with MEMS ambulance service in Little Rock, Ark., and a 12-year-old daughter.
Thomas Menix; Temple Police Department; Temple, TX (2008) Sgt. Tom Menix has been with the Temple Police Department for 20 years, and is currently assigned to Support Services. Sgt. Menix has completed assignments in the Community Policing Unit, SWAT Team, and Special Investigations Unit throughout his career. Menix has been a TCLEOSE Licensed Instructor for eight years. Sgt. Menix obtained his TCLEOSE Master Peace Officer Certification in 2005. Sgt. Menix has obtained his Associates degree in Criminal Justice from Central Texas College.
Billy Miller; Lincoln Fire & Rescue; Lincoln, AL (2009) Billy Miller began his career in 1998 and now serves as a Lieutenant at Lincoln Fire & Rescue, and firefighter at Talladega Fire & Rescue. He implemented Fire and Injury program in Lincoln for kids and adults of all ages, and is a certified diver, Dive Rescue I.
Paul Montavon, Jr; Miami Township Fire Department; North Bend, OH (2009) Paul Montavon began his fire service career in 1987 with the Harrison, Ohio Fire Department and currently serves as a Lieutenant with the Miami Township Fire Department. Lt. Montavon is the training officer overseeing the department’s training program, also works with several area departments in a joint training collaborate in Hamilton County. He is a field training officer with the Ohio Fire Academy.
Larry Mounce; Baton Rouge Fire Department; Baton Rouge, LA (2008) Larry Mounce is a 26-year veteran of the Baton Rouge Fire Department. He began his career as a firefighter and was then assigned to the Hazardous Materials unit. Currently, he holds the position of Chief of Hazardous Materials. During his career, he has responded to hundreds of emergencies and been responsible for the coordination of all emergency response agencies on the scene.  Mr. Mounce is a Hazardous Materials Specialist with over 2000 hours of formal training in emergency response. The formal training classes covered many areas such as Hazardous Materials Response, Emergency Medical Technician Training, Emergency Planning, Media Management, Incident Command and Terrorism. In 1995, Mr. Mounce earned an associate's degree in fire science from Louisiana State University at Eunice, Louisiana.  Mr. Mounce has served on many boards, commissions and committees. His credentials include board member and chairman of the Louisiana State Emergency Response Commission, board member of the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association and chairman of the Louisiana Hazardous Materials Alliance.  Mr. Mounce provides consulting and instructional services for many public and private organizations on various emergency response issues.
Robert Nelson; Los Angeles Fire Department; Los Angeles, CA (2008, 2007) Robert Nelson is a Captain with the Los Angeles Fire Department where he has been employed for the past 16 years. Capt. Nelson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Occupational Studies from Long Beach State and Associates of Arts degree in Fire Science. He has a combined 25 years of experience in the fire service which includes military, private sector and municipal agencies. During his career he has worked as a Firefighter, Engineer, Hazardous Material Specialist and Terrorism Liaison Officer Coordinator.  Capt. Nelson’s current assignment is at the Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC) in Norwalk, California which is one of the states Regional Terrorism Threat Assessment Centers. His primary duties include coordinating the Terrorism Liaison Officer program for the region along with Consequence Management functions. The JRIC coordinates intelligence analysis in the Central District of California, which incorporates the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. This area represents approximately 40,000 square miles, 18 million people and 360 cities. Additional duties include being part of the LAFD Incident Management Team, Apparatus Operator Instructor, Hazardous Materials Instructor, Terrorism and WMD Awareness Instructor. He is an outreach instructor for Office of Emergency Services, California Special Training Institute (CSTI), and the Office of Homeland Security, Center for Domestic Preparedness and has taught numerous hazardous materials and terrorism courses for the past ten years. Capt. Nelson is currently a member of the Los Angeles Consortium of Technical Responders. This organization works to determine strategic planning, equipment readiness, and response protocols to help prepare for an act of terrorism within the region.
Jerry A. Nulliner, Fishers Fire Department, Fishers, IN (2009) Jerry Nulliner is the Division Chief of Risk Management and Accreditation Manager. He has been with Fishers for over 20 years and has 16 years as a volunteer fire fighter. Prior to becoming a career firefighter with Fishers, he was employed by the Indiana State Police for 10 years and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office for two years. He has been an active Emergency Medical Technician for over 30 years.
Marco Olmos; Orange County Fire Authority and Tijuana Fire Department; San Clemente, CA (2009) Marco Olmos, an Orange County Fire Authority Fire Crew member of special operations and support services and Tijuana Fire Department Firefighter/Training Officer, serves as a board Director of Government Relations and Training for the Asociación de Bomberos del Estado de Baja California, Inc. Mr. Olmos has been an instructor since 2000.  As Fire Fighter/Training Officer for the Association, he is dedicated to training workshops for first responders and the community in the US and Mexico. Mr. Olmos has been chosen to be part in federal, state and local training in California, Nevada, Chicago, and Alabama in the US; and, Sonora and Baja California in Mexico.
Ted Padgett; Dallas Fire-Rescue; Dallas, TX (2006) Captain Ted Padgett is the commanding officer of the Hazardous Materials Response Team and functions as the WMD/HAZMAT Coordinator for the City of Dallas, Texas. Capt. Padgett has over 23 years service as a member of the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department. Capt. Padgett is a member of the FEMA US&R Texas Task Force-1 (TX TF-1), North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force (NTJTTF), and the Dallas Metropolitan Strike Team (DMST). He is an experienced professional with a significant background in NIMS Type III events and larger, working in conjuction with the FBI and other national response agencies. Capt. Padgett's insight and experiences are revealed in a practical, yet technical, forum, as an instructor who has trained FBI agents, tactical police personnel, firefighters, and industrial workers from across the country. He has written several articles on issue related to Hazardous Materials for Red Hat Publications, Inc., and "Speaking of Fire" (IFSTA Press), and has been used as a source for national media agencies.
Steve Pappas; Johnson County Emergency Management Agency; Greenwood, IN (2009) Steve Pappas has served in both the public and private sectors throughout his career. As an officer in the United States Army, he was involved in tactical operations, logistics, training, and exercises. He has interfaced with state and local government, focusing on safety and security issues, emergency preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery operations for over 20 years. In 1997, Mr. Pappas was elected Chairman of the Johnson County, Indiana Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). For over eight years, he developed, implemented, and acted as the facilitator in annual tabletop exercises designed for local emergency responders in the Johnson County area. In 2001, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Emergency Management Agency for Johnson County, Indiana. In 2003, he planned and facilitated a full-scale exercise with the Johnson County Indiana LEPC, a local water utility, and first responders to a simulated chlorine release from a water treatment plant. Mr. Pappas has written a variety of USEPA-, FEMA- and OSHA-regulatory-compliant programs and has lectured on a variety of security and safety related topics at the state and national level. Pappas is currently contracted to revise county Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans (CEMP) and to perform Department of Homeland Security vulnerability assessments for selected central Indiana counties. From 2005 to 2010, he served as the President of the Indiana InfraGard chapter, a non-profit organization affiliated with the FBI. InfraGard is comprised of individuals in academia, law enforcement, critical infrastructure sectors, business, and government who are dedicated to sharing information and ntelligence to prevent hostile acts against the United States.
Michele Parsons; Cumberland County Department of Public Safety; Carlisle, PA (2009) Michele Parsons is the Emergency Management Trainer for Cumberland County Department of Public Safety. Mrs. Parsons began training local-level first responder courses in 1994 and chose to expand her training to WMD topics in 1995. Since then, Mrs. Parsons has trained thousands of first responders, local emergency management officials, hospital personnel, and citizens at large. In addition to being a trainer for the CDP, Mrs. Parsons is also an instructor for: National Incident Management System – advanced Incident Command System; IRTB Instructor NM Tech; hazardous materials; OPSEC (Operations Security); Rehabilitation for First Responders; Mass Casualty/Fatality Incidents; radiological/nuclear contaminated patients; HSEEP; and numerous local-level curriculum. Mrs. Parsons also serves as a Level IV Regional Incident Management Team member, an active member with the South Central Task Force since its inception, a primary liaison for various special response teams within the County and the primary emergency management trainer for the local officials. Mrs. Parsons also serves on the Inter-Agency Working Group in collaboration with the Carlisle Army War College, a member of the Safe Schools Association and conducts numerous trainings and exercises within the county, including development, distribution, and accountability of all After Action Reports and Improvement Plans.
Carl Pedroza; Los Angeles County Sheriff Department; Pasadena, CA (2009, 2008) Reserve Captain Pedroza serves in the Emergency Services Department under Search and Rescue. The Altadena Mountain Rescue Team is the oldest Search and Rescue Team in Southern California. His years of service with the Department have included special operations with the EPA. His knowledge of technical rescue has been beneficial to the Department and to the public. Being a veteran of the USMC/R, he had duties in their NBC company. Mr. Pedroza also is a technical lab instructor for the EMT program at Pasadena & Glendale City College, as well as the Sheriff’s Department.
Timothy Pellerin; Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency; Wiscasset, ME (2009) Born and educated in Westbrook, Maine, Timothy Pellerin entered the fire service as a teen. He devoted the next 30 years to working through the ranks of career and volunteer fire services, EMS, and emergency management services to the levels of management and operations. Mr. Pellerin is a senior-level professional whose background includes extensive certified knowledge and training of disaster management, response and mitigation planning, risk management, hazardous materials planning and reporting, FEMA training, and Department of Homeland Security regulations. Additionally, he has 25 years’ service as a Certified Fire Instructor (since 1985). He has been the Lead Instructor at Cumberland County Fire Attack School for Advanced Structural Fire Attack/Incident Command for 15 years. Since 2005, Mr. Pellerin has served as the Director of Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency and the Emergency Communications Center, which provides a 24x7 service to a growing population of over 34,000 people within a 450-square-mile radius.
Jeffrey E. Pollard; Georgia Department of Community Health, Emergency Preparedness and Response Division; Rome, GA (2009) Jeffrey Pollard is currently the Emergency Preparedness & Response Coordinator for the Northwest Georgia Department of Public Health District 1-1. Within this ten county area, he is responsible for overseeing and assessing emergency response capabilities. He also provides technical assistance and training to state and local personnel in preparing for and responding to bioterrorism and all-hazard emergency incidents. Before joining public health a year and a half ago, Mr. Pollard completed a 28-year tenure in fire service. Serving in many positions and ranks, Pollard was a member of several fire departments, including the Department of Defense (Army and Air Force), Chesterfield Township (MI), the Town of Southern Pines (NC), City of Atlanta (GA). Mr. Pollard finished his fire service career as the Deputy Fire Chief with Walker County Emergency Services (GA).  Some of the many incidents and events which Mr. Pollard participated include the 1996 Olympics, the 2004 G-8 Summit, the 2002 Tri-State Crematory, and the severe weather outbreak of 2006. Mr. Pollard received commendations for these events and incidents from the Governor of the State of Georgia. He also received the medal of valor for life saving from the Governor in 2002. Mr. Pollard holds the following certifications: Designated Certified Fire Officer (CPSE), Homeland Security Level V (ABCHS), Emergency Medical Technician (GA EMT-I), Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist, Certified Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter, Georgia Emergency Management Agency CERT train the trainer instructor, and others. Mr. Pollard holds an associate's of Applied Science in Fire Science from Macomb Community College and a bachelor's in Industrial Health and Safety from Oakland University, both in Michigan.
Alynda Ponder; Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; Brandon, MS (2009) Alynda Ponder is employed by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency as EM Specialist/Training Coordinator for 19 of 82 counties. She is also the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Trainer providing off-site responder training in support of the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. Prior to her employment with MEMA, Ms. Ponder was employed by Rankin County Emergency Management and the Department of Veterans Affairs (1987-2000), where she excelled in training veterans and medical personnel. She considers it an honor and a privilege to train Emergency Management personnel and first responders. Ms. Ponder has a BS from the University of Southern Mississippi and is enrolled in the Master Trainer Program at the Emergency Management Institute.
David Purchase; City of Norton Shores; Norton Shores, MI (2009, 2008) Chief Purchase has 35 years in the fire service beginning as a volunteer firefighter for the City of Norton Shores in 1975. Rising through the ranks, he was appointed to the position of Fire Chief in 1999. Chief Purchase has been a certified fire instructor for over 23 years and has taught over 300 fire officer programs around the state. Receiving his associate's degree from Muskegon Community College, Chief Purchase is also an EFO graduate of the National Fire Academy. Chief Purchase has received various recognitions throughout his career, including the Michigan Jaycees, State Firefighter of the Year, Fire Service Instructor of the Year presented by the State Instructors Association and the Michigan Association Fire Chiefs, Fire Chief of The Year. In January 2006, Governor Jennifer Granholm reappointed him to the Firefighters Training Council for a second three-year term, where he served as Vice Chairman. He is a Past President of the Western Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs, past Vice President of the Michigan Fire Service Instructors Association, and currently serves as a Director on the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs Executive Board. Chief Purchase has presented programs at Fire Service conferences around the Country including VCOS, FDIC, FDIC East, Ohio State Fire School and Fire House Expo. An active participant within the state political arena, Chief Purchase was instrumental in the recent formation of the Michigan Fire Service Bureau and is the Fire Chiefs representative to the Michigan Fire Services Coalition.
Steve Roehl; Oregon Department of Safety Standards and Teaching; Eugene, OR (2008) Prior to a June 2002 retirement, Steve Roehl had 29 years of fire and EMS experience with Springfield Fire & Life Safety (SF&LS), Springfield, Oregon. He started as a Firefighter/EMT and worked through the ranks of Engineer, Lieutenant, Captain, and worked as an inspector and investigator in the SF&LS Fire Prevention Bureau. He served as member of the department's Fire Management Team as Battalion Chief, Training Officer, and Training/Operations Chief. Post-retirement, Mr. Roehl has worked as an independent contractor for: Emergency Services Consulting inc. (ESCi) of Wilsonville, OR; assisted various businesses with Safety Committee development, Emergency Evacuation and Action Planning, and Hazard Communication Plan development. He worked as a part-time instructor for Oregon Department of Safety Standards & Training (DPSST) teaching various courses for Fire, Police, Corrections, and Tele-Communications Public Safety Academies. Currently he works full-time for DPSST as a Regional Fire Training Coordinator and continues instructional assist with the Public Safety Academies. He serves as Training Specialist on one of three Oregon State Fire Marshal Incident Management Teams.
Bill Schaubel; EAI/SAIC; Anniston, AL (2006) Mr. Schaubel came to the CDP from the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management, where he was employed as the State WMD training coordinator and the Emergency Services Branch Chief for the Emergency Operations Center. This position was responsible for identifying and allocating emergency response assets to requesting agencies during natural or man-made disaster responses. These assets included Hazardous Materials, Fire Rescue, Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, and Department of Health personnel. During this time, Mr. Schaubel was also active as a Fire Fighter and Hazardous Materials Technician while serving as the Chief of a volunteer fire department in Jefferson County, Florida.
Steven Schneider; Oakland County Sheriff's Office; Rochester, MI (2009) During his 14 years in law enforcement, Sergeant Schneider has attended and completed a multitude of emergency services related and train-the-trainer courses. He has a wide array of experience in several areas including Weapons of Mass Destruction, Community Anti-Terrorism Training, Investigations, Corrections Management, Inmate Custody and Care, Road Patrol and General Administration. This experience has been gained through his degree programs, employment with two large investigative companies and one of the largest Sheriff Department’s in the United States.  Sergeant Schneider is a member of the Oakland County IMT Team and has completed Type IV Incident Management Team Training as well as COBRA Live Chemical Agent Training. In addition, he is an adjunct instructor and guest lecturer for private and public higher educational institutions and has taught departmental members as well as private sector individuals in a variety of subjects.
Bryan Shields; Nevada Department of Corrections; Las Vegas, NV (2009) Sergeant Bryan Shields is a combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps Reserve, serving in Iraq in 2003. In January 2004, Sgt. Shields joined the Nevada Department of Corrections, and by 2005 began instructing for the department.  He currently holds qualifications as a range master as well as a defensive tactics instructor. Previously, Sgt. Shields worked as a Drill Instructor and Senior Drill Instructor for the Program of Regimental Discipline. Moving forward on his career path, Sgt. Shields is now Supervisor of the High Desert State Prison Property Room.
Jose Sierra; Puerto Rico Ports Authority; San Juan, PR (2007) Jose Sierra  began his education at the University of the Turabo in Caguas, where he obtained a degree in Social Sciences with concentration in Criminology in 1987, and a master's degree in Public Matters and Criminal Justice in 1997. Mr. Sierra began work at the public utility in 1985 in the Authority of the Ports. Mr. Sierra forms part of the committee of Mitigation of the AEMEAD and of the working party that completed the Plan of Mitigation of the State approved by FEMA. Mr. Sierra has taught courses to more than 2,000 public servants. Mr. Sierra is also an active member of the National Guard of Puerto Rico, State Command and has held several positions. Mr. Sierra was recognized by the "Mems Academy" of the "State Guard Association of the United State" with the medal of "Homeland Security Basic, Senior Train the Trainers", and at present is being evaluated to obtain the highest recognition offered by this organization, "Master Trainer." Mr. Sierra is additionally a university Professor to level of Mastery in the Program of Criminal Justice and National Security in several university institutions of Puerto Rico.
Charles Simpson, Jr.; Maryland Emergency Management Agency; Reisterstown, MD (2009) Charles Simspon is currently serving as the NIMS/ICS Coordinator for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, after serving as manager of the Maryland Joint Operations Center. In this position, he oversees NIMS compliance by all Maryland state agencies and local jurisdictions. He retired from Verizon Telephone Company in 1998 and previously served in the National Guard. He teaches various emergency services courses at the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, and has over 38 years experience in emergency services, firefighting, paramedics, and as a fire chief. He has served on state and national committees for fire and emergency medical services.
Darren Smith; Retired Fire/EMS; Boerne, TX (2009) Darren Smith retired after serving over 25 years in the fire/EMS service, during which he served as a Fire Chief, Fire Marshal, Emergency Management Coordinator, EMS Director, Training Officer, and Paramedic. Chief Smith instructed for several emergency agencies and the San Antonio College Fire and EMS continuing education division prior to retirement. He is presently an instructor for the Texas Engineering Extension Service (a division of Texas A&M University) and the Science Applications International Corporation.
Robert Smith; Marion County Sheriff's Department; Indiana (2008) Robert Smith began in law enforcement in 1993, graduating from the Marion County Sheriff's Academy in 1994 as a reserve deputy. He completed a road school and field training program to begin working district. Along the way, he achieved expertise as a fatality accident investigator, field training officer, first-line supervisor, police motorcycle traffice enforcement, and has received numerous letters of commendation. Mr. Smith obtained his primary instructor certification in 1999 from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and achieved psychomotor instructor skills in emergency vehicle operations, handgun and shotgun. In 1997, Mr. Smith was hired as a firefighter by the Perry Township Fire Department, where he continues today. In 2003, Mr. Smith was assigned to the Marion County Sheriff's Training Academy as a staff instructor, creating and maintaining the in-service program for non-employed special deputies.
Lt. Jack Stewart; Kent County Sheriff's Department; Kent County, MI (2009) Lt. Jack Stewart is a 36-year veteran of the Kent County Sheriff's Department and is currently serving as the Emergency Management Coordinator for Kent County. Lt. Stewart formerly served in the Detective Bureau as the supervisor of the Family Services Unit and specialized in investigations of child abuse, sexual assault, abuse of the elderly, and domestic violence. Lt. Stewart has served on state boards addressing issues such as date rape and domestic violence and has been appointed to the State of Michigan Regional Homeland Security Governing Board as Region 6 Chairman. He has served as an adjunct instructor at Aquinas College, co-developing and co-teaching a curriculum on violence in society. He is currently an adjunct instructor at ITT Technical Institute. In 2009, Lt. Stewart was honored as the Professional Emergency Manager of the year by the Michigan State Police and Michigan Emergency Management Agency.
Larry St. George; Clinton County Office of Emergency Management; St. Johns, MI (2009) Larry St. George has been employed by the Clinton County Office of Emergency Management as a Solution Area Planner since June, 2005. He is responsible for emergency operations planning, exercise planning and evaluation, coordination of training programs, and grant administration. Mr. St. George also acts as the assistant to the Emergency Management Coordinator and as a Disaster Generalist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, responding to several major disasters, including hurricanes Rita and Ike and the Midwest floods of 2008. Mr. St. George has earned the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) designation from the International Association of Emergency Managers as well as the Professional Emergency Manager (PEM) designation from the Michigan State Police. Mr. St. George is a certified ICS-300 and ICS-400 trainer. He is currently completing a master's degree in Homeland Security Management through the Homeland Security Management Institute at Long Island University. He also serves as the Asst. Homeland Security Liaison for the Michigan wing of the Civil Air Patrol and holds the rank of Major. He is also a lieutenant on the Clinton County Special Rescue Team and volunteers with the Clinton County Emergency Communications Team.
Kerry Stiles; Virginia State Police; Hanover/Henrico County, VA (2006) First Sergeant Stiles was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia. He graduated from Warwick High School. He has an Associates in Applied Science Degree in Police Science from Thomas Nelson Community College and is working towards his Bachelor’s Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has been married since 1982 to Jill, and they have three children, the oldest of which just graduated from Christopher Newport University this past December. He was a Williamsburg Police Officer prior to being hired by the Virginia State police in 1985. First Sergeant Stiles was assigned to Hanover/Henrico County after graduating second in his class from the State Police Academy. He was promoted to Special Agent working narcotics in the Richmond area. He was promoted to Sergeant at First Division Headquarters in Richmond and then transferred to the Hanover/Henrico County field office. He supervised state police functions at the State Fair of Virginia from 1999 until this year. Currently, First Sergeant Stiles is responsible for eight teams trained to respond to a WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction)/terror incident to recover evidence. Each of the 49 team members are trained Hazardous Material Technicians and equipped to work in a hazardous environment. Each team is also responsible for conducting criminal interdiction operations against the flow of illegal narcotics in and through the Commonwealth.
Dale R. Suiter; Emergency Response Region 7; Atlanta, MI (2009) Dale R. Suiter has been in military and public service since June 1966. He serves now with Emergency Response Region 7 in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.  His two sons and two son-in-laws are veterans of the war on terror. The family continues in service to the United States of America.
Deb Teske; Mayo Clinic; Rochester, MN (2009) Deb Teske currently works as a member of the Emergency Management Team at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. She has been providing NIMS training to southeastern Minnesota responders since 2007 and strongly believes that joint training is essential to a coordinated disaster response. She has a MS degree in strategic planning from the Naval Postgraduate School. She retired from the U.S. Navy as a Commander in 2005. She worked as the Fillmore County Emergency Management Director from 2006 to 2009 and helped the county respond to two federally declared disasters.
Beth Thomas-Baas; Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department of Emergency Management; Michigan (2009, 2008) During her 23-year tenure in Europe, Beth Thomas-Bass worked 10 years for KLM/Northwest Airlines in the field of Operations and Emergency Management. Her credentials in European Business, Public Relations, and Airline Operations have given her ample opportunity to develop her experience as a true “all-rounder.” She has since added the title of Professional Emergency Manager (P.E.M.), granted by Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division. Her expertise includes emergency planning, operations, crisis communications and victims’ services. Ms. Thomas-Baas has conducted various training workshops and exercises around the world, educating people in many different countries in each of these areas. Her disaster experience includes an airplane crash in 1994 and working as Public Information Officer in the airlines’ Operations Control Center during the September 11, 2001 tragedy. As Director of Emergency Services for the American Red Cross, she also worked during the 2004 hurricanes Charley, Francis, Ivan, and Jeanne. Ms. Thomas-Baas is currently employed as Homeland Security Regional Planner by the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department of Emergency Management and is a Command Staff member of the Michigan Region 6 All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT).
Jerry Thrash; Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; Clinton, MS (2009) Sergeant Major (retired) Jerry Thrash has been with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency since January 2007. He previously served with the Mississippi Army National Guard and retired in 2006 with 30 years of active duty (total service of 39+ years). He has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Mississippi College and is a graduate of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy in Fort Bliss, Texas. Sgt. Major Thrash is the Emergency Management Training Coordinator for the lower 15 counties in Mississippi. His training emphasis is on Hurricane Readiness and Incident Command System training working with city and county first responders. He also works with city and county government personnel to insure they are prepared for an incident or event that may impact on them. When the state emergency management agency is activated, he fills a position in the planning section in the state Emergency Operations Center.
Sandy Waggoner; Resource Solutions Associates; Milan, OH (2009) Sandy Waggoner is the President and co-owner of Resource Solutions Associates, LLC in Milan, Ohio. She is an Ohio-licensed paramedic, and holds a bachelor’s degree in emergency and disaster management from American Public University. Ms. Waggoner has 20+ years’ experience as a paramedic, EMS instructor, and disaster worker, having spent a decade as the Disaster and Education Director for Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross. She has worked as a 911 and critical care paramedic in several public and private systems, as well as directing one of Ohio’s leading public safety training programs for over 12 years. Ms. Waggoner often serves as a speaker for Ohio’s first responder instructors and providers at conferences and meetings, as well as providing instruction in EMS worldwide. As a founding board member of the Firelands Public Safety Training Committee, Ms. Waggoner is instrumental in providing sophisticated training facilities for local firefighters and police officers, as well as providing leadership and grantsmanship to local non-profit organizations. Ms. Waggoner has been published in various emergency management journals including “Crisis Management” and the Journal of Emergency Management, publishing articles on topics such as airport use in disaster and NIMS implementation. Ms. Waggoner has provided ICS instruction to Ohio residents through The University of Findlay, The Ohio State University, and Erie County Emergency Management Agency. As a national faculty advisor for the Emergency Care and Safety Institute, she assists with cutting-edge program development in first responder courses like CPR and first aid. She has led efforts in Ohio to develop online and non-traditional emergency training.
Todd M. Wardwell; Senior Chief Marine Science Technician, USCG; Huntington Beach, CA (2008) Senior Chief Marine Science Technician Todd M. Wardwell has been part of the United States Coast Guard since 1994. He is currently assigned to USCG Maintenance Logistics Command Detachment San Pedro, CA. Senior Chief Wardwell has responded to over 17 national-level incidents. On September 11th, he was a first responder in Manhattan to the WTC. Soon after, MSTCS Wardwell was assigned to assist with mitigating the anthrax attacks in Washington DC. Other incidents include the Space Shuttle Columbia Recovery, and first response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. When not instructing, he is member of the USCG National Incident Management Assistance Team, as well as the assistant ICS Safety Officer for Southern California. Senior Chief Wardwell has earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from Excelsior College, NY. In addition, he is a licensed Hazmat Tech, Hazmat Specialist (Intermodal and Rail), Type III Hazmat Incident Commander, WMD Specialist, graduate of the US ARMY Chem/Bio School, FT Leonard Wood, NIMS certified ICS instructor and CDL “A” driver with all endorsements.
Jennifer West; Monterey County Sheriff; Salinas, CA (2008) Jennifer West has been with the Monterey County Sheriff for 12 years, a Sergeant for four. Sgt. West has been teaching NIMS/SEMS ICS 100, 200, 300, and 400 to the Sheriff's department, as well as other agencies. Sgt. West is currently assigned to the Training Division and works with recruits at the police academy.
Rich Will; Overland Police Department; St Louis, MO (2008) Sergeant Rich Will has been employed by the Overland Police Department for over 19 years, serving in various positions including patrol, investigations and traffic safety and he currently commands the department's traffic safety unit. He is the primary WMD, IRTB, PRSBI, LEPM, School Bombing Incidents instructor; a trained Hostage Negotiator and he is part of the St. Louis Area Crisis Intervention Team, with numerous recognition awards. Sgt. Will holds a Bachelor's degree in the Administration of Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri, St Louis and has guest lectured at both the University of Southern Illinois and the St Louis University in the area of Criminal Justice. Sgt. Will serves as a Post-certified instructor for the Eastern Missouri Police Academy. Over the last three years, he has trained recruits in such subjects as WMD, Explosives, Computer Crime, Interview and Interrogation, Tactical communications, Death Investigation and Statutory and Constitutional Law. The Eastern Missouri Police Academy trains certified police officers for numerous police departments in St Louis, St. Charles and Warren Counties in Missouri. Sgt. Will has over 20 years of service in the Army, with deployments in Gulf War I and Operation Just Cause, and he currently serves in the United States Army Reserve as a Special Agent with the Army's Criminal Investigation Division Command.
John Wood; Orange County Office of Emergency Management; Bloomingburg, NY (2009) John Wood retired from the Orange County Sherrif's Office in 2009 after 21 years of law enforcement, the last nine as agency Emergency Manager. Additionally, he has 25 years experience as a volunteer firefighter, HazMat Technician, and Intermediate EMT. As the agency Emergency Manager, Mr. Wood was involved in or responsible for developing or revising emergency response policies or procedures for 43 local municipalities. He was a member of the team developing the Orange County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, Radiological Response Plan, and the US Post Office's Biological Detection System Response Protocol. Mr. Wood also developed Incident Action Plans and served as Operations Section Chief, Situation Unit Leader, Resource Unit Leader, and in the Logistics and Planning sections for mutiple civic emergencies and events from 2004-2007. Since 1992, Mr. Wood has been a certified instructor for the NYS Division of Criminal Services, State Office of Emergency Management, and the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, and has developed and facilitated training events using the HSEEP program. He is currently a contractor to the Orange County Office of Emergency Mangement as a program coordinator and instructor and a founding member of the county's Type 3 IMT.
Wayne Woods; Springfield Police Department; Springfield, MO (2008) Wayne Woods has been with the Springfield Police Department for 21 years and is currently assigned to the Training Unit as a Curriculum Coordinator. His prior assignments include the Traffic and Patrol Divisions. Mr. Woods has been a licensed instructor by the Missouri Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission since 1996 and has been teaching the Standardized Awareness Program since 2006. He holds an Associate of Science degree in Law Enforcement and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Missouri Southern State University.  He also possesses a Master of Arts degree in Business and Organizational Security Management from Webster University.
Richard Zuley; Chicago Department of Public Health; Chicago, IL (2007) Richard Zuley retired from the Chicago Police Department after almost 37 years of service, 30 as a detective. Most of his detective time was in homicide, with two years in the Organized Crime Intelligence Section, and the last year and a half detailed to the Chicago Police Department Training Academy, where he became a state-certified instructor andserved as the senior instructor and one of the developers of Chicago's highly regarded Terrorism Awareness and Response Academy (TARA). The day after his retirment, Mr. Zuley was hired by the City of Chicago Department of Public Health as the Senior Emergency Mangement Coordinator in the Emergency Preparedness and Response division. Mr. Zuley's duties include developing preparedness and response plans, in addition to being the primary CBRNE officer, and the development of an indigenous intelligence fusion section. Mr. Zuley is a former Marine, and still serves as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. A "mustang officer," Mr. Zuley spent almost half his military career in the enlisted ranks before being commissioned; he currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Durning the past 10 years, Lt. Commander Zuley has had extensive active duty time, including two years deployed overseas as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedome. While on active duty, Lt. Commander Zuley was closely involved in the actual intelligence collection mission and served in a leadership position in that effort. Lt. Commander Zuley received two Defense Meritorious Service medals for his efforts. In addition to his work with the Chicago Police Department, Mr. Zuley continues to teach terrorism-related classes through the Chicago Department of Public Health and has also been working as a Law Enforcement and Terrorism Awareness instructor for the California Department of Justice, the Georgia Department of Public Safety Training Academy, and other state agencies.

Last Reviewed: April 25, 2012

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