Bronze Level Authorized Trainers

The following Authorized Trainers received Bronze Level recognition in the CDP Exellence in Training program for fiscal year 2010:

Larry J. Allen; Barbour County Emergency Management; Philippi, WV Larry J. Allen became Director of the Emergency Management program for Barbour County in 2005. Prior to joining the organization, he had retired from active duty with the US Army after 20 years and served four years as an adjunct college instructor. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and a MBA in Information Systems Management. He is a current member of the West Virginia Emergency Management Council and is a West Virginia Certified Emergency Manager. He is an instructor for the Planning and Logistics sections with the emerging West Virginia Type 3 and Type 4 Incident Management Teams. He is an instructor for the West Virginia Fire Service, the West Virginia Regional Educational Support Agency, the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the local school system, currently concentrating on school safety and incident command.
Utah Bailey, Jr.; Butler County Emergency Management Agency; Hamilton, Ohio Mr. Bailey has been employed by Butler County for 20 years and currently serves as the Director of Safety, as well as Operations Manger of the Butler County Emergency Management Agency. This position involves conducting many training programs, such as HazMat and HAZ SWAT, Incident Command and CERT programs. Utah also serves as a Special Deputy with the Butler County Sheriff's Office Bomb Unit and Task Force One Drive Unit, as well as responding to man-made and natural disasters within the County's jurisdiction.
DeLaine Black; US Department of Health and Human Services; Washington, DC 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.
Kurtis Bramer, BA, EMT-P, CEM-MN; Hennepin Emergency Medical Services; Minneapolis, MN Kurtis began his career in EMS in 1980 and received a degree in emergency medical care and rescue from Mankato State University in 1986. For the past 13 years, he has served as an Operational Supervisor for Hennepin Emergency Medical Services. During this time, he co-authored the Regional EMS Incident Response Plan, is a member of MMRS including plan development for local ChemPacks and prophylaxis for essential personnel, served as a Deputy EMS Branch Director during the 35W Bridge Collapse, collaborated on the development of regional Ambulance Strike Teams in Minnesota, collaborated on departmental and regional EMS planning for the 2008 Republican National Convention, and led a medical task force for the 2009 Fargo-Morehead floods. Currently, he is a certified Emergency Manager for the State of Minnesota, serves as the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for Hennepin EMS, and holds a BA in organizational leadership.
Ron Breland; Adjunct Instructor; Tonopah, AZ After medically retiring from the United States Army in 2005, Ron Breland served as the New Mexico State Hazardous Materials Coordinator, a division of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, where he maintained the New Mexico State Hazardous Response Plan, and created and authored the "HAZCOM" newsletter, which gained national attention only two weeks after its inception. Mr. Breland was also the Interim Program Manager of New Mexico Task Force-1, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) national task force under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ESF 9, and personally trained over 2,500 personnel in Incident Command System (ICS), Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), Vehicle-Borne IEDs, and suicide bombers in only two years. Mr. Breland was also selected as a member of the DHS' focus group to examine response actions of first responders, a cumulative report which directly served in the the development of Homeland Security Presidential Directive-19. Mr. Breland is currently an adjunct instructor for the Center for Domestic Preparedness, New Mexico Tech, Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell, and the Albuquerque Police Academy. In 2008, Mr. Breland, in association with his wife’s Training and Exercise company, Southwest Homeland Solutions, Inc., coordinated and executed the first HSEEP-compliant full-scale exercise between the United States and Mexico. The H1N1 exercise was incredibly successful, and involved over 70 agencies from the Mexican Consulate to two United States Senators office staff personnel, and many others.
William Brobst; Columbus Division of Fire; Columbus, OH 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.
Howard "Bucky" Buchanan; New Jersey EMS Task Force; Branchburg, NJ H. Bucky Buchanan, EMT-B, has been involved in EMS and Emergency Management for over 25 years. He is the President & Senior Instructor with RVESCUE, LLC, an emergency services training and educational company based in North Branch, New Jersey. Mr. Buchanan has responded to many large-scale incidents, and has been part of the management team for incidents such as the Hurricane Floyd response in Central NJ, the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 working in both Manhattan as well as the NJ Disaster Recovery Center, the US Air Flight 1549 response in the Hudson River, and the "Christmas Winter Storm" in December 2010 in NYC & NJ. Positions he currently holds include Chief of the Branchburg Rescue Squad, Somerset County NJ; Deputy County EMS Coordinator and EOC Manager with Somerset County Office of Emergency Management; member of the Incident Advance Team with the NJ EMS Task Force as the State's Staging & Accountability Officer; and, Disaster Assistance Employee/Planning Specialist with FEMA Region II.
Anthony N. Cellitti; Rockford Health System; Rockford, IL Anthony N. Cellitti, CCEMTP/NREMT-P/FF III is the EMS System Coordinator for Rock River Region EMS System – Rockford Health System and a fire fighter III for Northwest Fire Protection District, both in Rockford, IL. Mr. Cellitti is a recognized speaker nationally and internationally, having lectured in the United States, Europe, Japan, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Canada. His topics include pre-hospital emergency care, first response extrication, Incident Command, triage, 12-lead ECG's, and disaster planning. Mr. Cellitti has been involved in EMS/Fire service for over 25 years.
Randal Collins; Indiana Department of Homeland Security; Indianapolis, IN Mr. Collins oversees the State CBRNE program and Indiana's regional collaboration initiative, as well as the Indiana Incident Management Program and District Response Task Force Initiative. He also commands the Indiana Incident Management Assistance Team. Prior to this position, he served as the Operations Section Chief of the IDHS Response and Recovery Division, and was the exercise commander of the Indiana full-scale exercise portion of the National Level Exercise 2011, where he led the exercise control team in the planning and execution of the exercise. Prior to joining the IDHS, Mr. Collins served as the Director of Operations, Training, and Exercise and an Emergency Management Coordinator for Indianapolis-Marion County Emergency Management Division. He spent two years as the Indiana State Emergency Management Agency (now IDHS) Emergency Operations Center Coordinator, and two years as a police/K-9 officer with the Mooresville Police Department. Mr. Collins has 12 years service in the United States Marine Corps as a mortar man, scout-sniper platoon leader, and urban warfare instructor. Mr. Collins is Certified Emergency Manager through the International Association of Emergency Management and as a Professional Emergency Manager–Senior Level through the IDHS and has had several in-service courses through IDHS, FEMA, and DHS. He is a qualified Incident Commander through the IDHS Position Qualification System. Mr. Collins holds a BS in law enforcement from the University of Indianapolis. He often participates as an instructor for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Center for Domestic Preparedness, Western Community Policing Institute and the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. Throughout his public safety career, he has participated in response and recovery efforts to 15 presidentially declared disasters and emergencies. Mr. Collins has been a speaker/presenter at the All Hazard Incident Management Team Training and Exercise Conference, the Indiana Emergency Responder Conference, Indiana University–Purdue University at Indianapolis and the Emergency Management Alliance of Indiana Conference. He serves on the Board of Directors for the newly created All Hazard Incident Management Team Association, and for the Emergency Management Alliance of Indiana.
John Commander; EMS Training Officer; Riverside, CA John Commander is a 21-year veteran with the San Bernardino County Fire Department and serves within their EMS, Safety and Training Division. Mr. Commander is a licensed paramedic and has over 35 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, incident command, hazardous materials and terrorism. His educational background consists of the following degrees: AS degrees in emergency medical care, fire technology, fire administration, and emergency management; bachelor's of vocational education; and, master's 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 fields 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) Mobile Acute Care (MAC) and force protection fit-testing teams.
Chance Corbett; Auburn University; Auburn, AL 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. Mr. 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.
Arlene Crow; Orange County Health Department; Orlando, FL Arlene Crow is employed by the Florida Department of Health as the manager of Emergency Operations for the Orange County Health Department in Orlando, Fla. She heads up a five-member team that plans for and responds to any disaster event—natural or terrorist-related—that affects public health. Before beginning her career with the State of Florida, Ms. Crow served as a firefighter/EMT for the city of Lakeland, Florida. She is a member of the Central Florida Regional Domestic Security Task Force and is a member of Florida’s Region 5 Type III Incident Management Team. She is an authorized trainer for FEMA and the Dept. of Homeland Security and, in February, 2009 had the fortunate opportunity of teaching Incident Command to medical personnel at the U.S. Naval Base in Bahrain. Ms. Crow holds a bachelor's degree in Organizational Management, and is currently completing two master's degrees in Emergency & Disaster Management and in Homeland Security.
James W. Cushing; Ramsey County Emergency Management & Homeland Security; St. Paul, MN Jim Cushing is the Captain of Safety & Training for Ramsey County Emergency Management & Homeland Security, St. Paul, Minn. He has worked in various law enforcement and emergency response positions in Minnesota since 1980. Capt. Cushing currently trains responders in eight different FEMA/DHS courses and is a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trainer. He is also a member of the FEMA Region 5 All Hazard Incident Management Team (AHIMT) for type 3 incidents, based in Bloomington, Minn.
Harold Damron; Will County Emergency Management Agency; Will County, IL Harold Damron has been active in the field of emergency management since 1985. He has served with the Will County Emergency Management Agency since 1991, and was appointed to the position of director of the agency by the Will County Executive in 2007. Mr. Damron holds a number of emergency management professional certifications, including Certified Emergency Manager and Illinois Professional Emergency Manager, and a BA from Governors State University. Mr. Damron has been teaching ICS courses since first becoming certified as an instructor through FEMA's Train-the-Trainer program in 1996.
James T. Farrell; Upshur County Emergency Management; Buckhannon, WV James Farrell teaches incident command for the WV Regional Educational Support Agency. He is also a fire service instructor, volunteer firefighter, and a member of the WV Hazmat Regional Response Team. Mr. Farrell retired as a sergeant from the Suffolk County New York Police after 30 years. He was a responder on September 11, 2001, and afterwards helped to produce New York's Terrorist Awareness Program for police. He also taught terrorist interdiction techniques nationally before retiring, was a member of the Eastern Regional Transportation Security Council, and co-founder of the NY Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Association.
Anthony Grable; University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute; Elkridge, MD Anthony (Tony) Grable is currently a field Instructor for the Special Services Section of the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. He previously served with Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department, Howard County Fire and Rescue Services, and Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department, where he received the K. I. Lenahan Award for outstanding dedication and service. His career in Howard County included working on many special projects throughout his 28-plus years, including a model SCBA Maintenance and Safety program, one of the county's and state's first Emergency Medical Technicians and Cardiac Rescue Technicians, and, as the first Captain in the development of the County's Community Relations Unit. He was certified by the Maryland Instructor Certification Review Board in 1980, and began teaching fire and rescue field classes for the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, including firefighting, hazardous materials, officer training, and first response to terrorist events as well as others. He holds a Maryland Fire Service Pro Board Certification as a Fire Service Instructor III as per the NFPA 1041-2002 requirements. He has taught CPR and Fire Safety programs and has spoken at many community events and meetings throughout the years.
Paul Hajek; Maryland Emergency Management Agency; Maryland Mr. Hajek retired from the Howard County Md. Police Department after 25 years of service as a Lieutenant. He then accepted a position as Chief of Howard County's newly consolidated Fire & Rescue/Police/911 Center and SEOC. Several years later, Mr. Hajek accepted a position as Homeland Security Coordinator at the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions. While there, he moved to the Executive Development Institute, instructing in Leadership, and Emergency Management and then finally to a position as Director of Police Entry Level Training Programs. Mr. Hajek currently serves as the acting Preparedness and Response Officer for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. He is the current Chairman of the Exercise and Training Oversight Panel of the National Capital Region. A graduate of both the FBI and DEA National Academies, Mr. Hajek also holds a BA in political science with a minor in personnel administration.
Casey Hall; Kentucky Fire Commission; Thruston, KY Mr. Hall currently serves as the Area 5 Coordinator for the KY Fire Commission/State Fire Rescue Training Program, housed within the Kentucky Community Technical College System. In his position, he administers training for 62 fire departments in eight Kentucky counties. He also serves as the SFRT Director of Online/Distance Learning Courses, coordinates the SFRT Associate's Degree Program and EMS Classes and is deeply involved in the development of fire service curriculum and policy for statewide use. Mr. Hall also serves his community as a Lieutenant/EMT-B/Fire Instructor III for the Thruston-Philpot Fire Department. Casey says, "I'm excited to receive such an honor, but I'm just one small part. This award demonstrates the cooperative effort of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, Kentucky Fire Commission/State Fire-Rescue Training, and the emergency response personnel that dedicate themselves to being the best they can be."
Carl Hollier; Wayne County Department of Public Health; Wayne, MI As a retired fire captain with the Detroit Fire Department with 28 years of experience in all areas of the fire service, including EMS technician, Fire Fighter, Fire Engine Operator, Lt. Fire Marshal Inspector, Community Relations Officer, Forensic fire Photographer for the Arson Squad, Captain of Training, & Major Incident Safety Officer, Cpt. Hollier has developed a true appreciation for education and training to the highest level. Cpt. Hollier is a State of Michigan Certified Fire Instructor; a Hazardous Material Technician; Fire Officer I, II, III; and a graduate of the Carl Holmes Fire Executive Development Institute at Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana and Eastern Michigan University School of Fire Staff and Command. He is qualified to teach almost every course certified through the Michigan Fire Fighter Training Council and several programs through the National Fire Academy, International Chemical Workers Union Training Council, and the CDP. The extensive high quality Train-the-Trainer programs provided by the CDP in WMD, radiation response and Incident Command have allowed Cpt. Hollier to deliver state-of-the-art training to hundreds of emergency responders and public health workers. Cpt. Hollier believes we must exercise and train to the highest level of preparedness to ensure the safety and capability of the response community. "The question is not will there be emergency responders, but at what level will they be able to respond?"
Daniel Lake; North Las Vegas Police Department; North Las Vegas, NV 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.
Olan Leonard; Weston-Lewis County EMS; Worthington, WV Mr. Leonard serves Weston-Lewis County Emergency Medical Services as a National Registry Paramedic, Squad Training Officer, and county Advance Life Support Coordinator. He is currently attending American Military University, pursuing an associate's degree in Weapons of Mass Destruction. Mr. Leonard also serves on the West Virginia Regional Response team as the Medical Officer and county team leader, is a West Virginia Emergency Service Instructor, received the State OEMS for Instructor of the Year 2010, and as chairperson of the State of West Virginia Recruitment and Retention Committee.
Craig MacLennan; United States Coast Guard; Charleston, SC Mr. Craig MacLennan, known as "Mac," is the USCG Sector Charleston Emergency Manager. Mr. MacLennnan served in the active duty Coast Guard for over 27 years, where he had command of several Coast Guard search and rescue and law enforcement units, and retired as the Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Station New York in 2005. Mr. MacLennan is a lead ICS instructor for the USCG and FEMA (CDP) and has served in many of the ICS positions for critical and life-threatening incidents. He believes in the ICS program and that ICS reinforces the standardization we need for a One Team/One Fight approach to all incidents, but allows flexibility in the application. Mr. MacLennan has over 30 years as a law enforcement and search and rescue instructor, as well as a qualified heavy weather and tactical boat coxswain, EMT, and boarding officer.
Christopher Malerba; New York City Police Department; New York, NY Officer Malerba has been an NYPD officer for 12 years, and has responded to such events as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the St. George Hotel fire, TWA Flight 800 crash, and 9/11 Fire Command. Officer Malerba is also an NYC Haz-Tac Paramedic with 23 years experience, and has taught EMT/Paramedic courses at St. John's University for four years.
Dean Martin; Columbia Fire Department; Columbia, MO Dean Martin is a Division Chief with the Columbia, Missouri Fire Department. In his 22 years at the department, he has held various positions, including Assistant Fire Marshal, Training Battalion Chief, Shift Battalion Chief, and Shift Division Chief. Currently, he is Division Chief of the Fire Marshals Office, and EMS Division. Chief Martin is an adjunct instructor for the Law Enforcement Training Institute in Columbia, Missouri and the University of Missouri Fire & Rescue Training Institute. He teaches courses in Fire Attack, Hazardous Materials, EMS, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Incident Command Systems, and Spanish.
Bill Mayfield, RN; Memorial Health System; Colorado Springs, CO Bill Mayfield has been a Registered Nurse for 27 years, specializing in emergency and critical care medicine, and concurrently has 20 years of fire service experience. Bill manages hazardous materials and emergency medical services programs at Memorial Health. He is a key member of his system's emergency management team. Mr. Mayfield also is a Hazardous Materials Technician and safety officer specializing in WMD, advanced HazMat life support, and decontamination. He 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 (7 counts), Nightingale Award nominee (2 counts), Outstanding Nurse of the Year (2 counts), Outstanding Community Service Award (3 counts), Healthcare Professions Educator of the Year Award, and American Red Cross Nurse Designation. Finally, Mr. Mayfield is a recognized Incident Command and 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.
Jeff Michaels; Muskingum County Health Department; Zanesville, OH Jeff Michaels, MEP, is the Preparedness Program Director with the Muskingum County Health Department. Mr. Michaels holds a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Ohio University, a certificate in epidemiology from the Ohio State University (OSU) and has continued graduate epidemiological studies at OSU's summer institutes. He has facilitated the Johns Hopkins' Roadmap to Public Health Preparedness Program and has coordinated local full-scale clinic exercises. His further repertoire of training includes: Advanced Biological Response at the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Grounds, UT; Agricultural Terrorism Response at Auburn University, AL; and the Ohio Public Health Leadership Institute. Mr. Michaels instructs the Exercise Design Course for the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA) and has earned the Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) designation from FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI). More recently, he has been instructing the intermediate and advanced Incident Command System (ICS) courses.
Jesse Murphree; Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; Pearl, MS Jesse Murphree has been in the field of educational administration, development, and training for over 30 years. He has a master's degree from Mississippi College and a BSGS degree from Delta State University. Mr. Murphree joined the Office of Preparedness in June 2006, after Hurricane Katrina, and has proudly served as an EM Specialist I and Trainer for Districts 4, 6, and 1.
Rick A. Norman PEM, Emergency Program Manager, Ionia County, MI Rick Norman has been the Emergency Program Manager for Ionia County, Mich. for four years. Prior to that, he was the Associate Director of Readiness and Response for the Greater Grand Rapids Chapter of the American Red Cross. He has a BS in Economics from Grand Valley State University and is certified as a Professional Emergency Manager through the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division of the Michigan State Police. He serves as an instructor for the National Incident Management System through the 400 level, Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness, Implementing Continuity of Operations (COOP, COG), School Bomb Threat Assessment, Community Emergency Response Team, First Aid/CPR/AED, American Red Cross Disaster Response training, E-Team, Ground Search and Rescue Awareness, and has implemented CERT TtT programs for the State of Michigan. He is the Ionia County Hazmat/Response Team Coordinator, and chairs the School Emergency Planning Committee and the Court and Facility Security Committee for the county. He is a member of the Region 6 Michigan Homeland Security Governing Board, and also serves as a Regional Homeland Security Planner.
Michele Parsons; Cumberland County Department of Public Safety; Carlisle, PA 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 Mr. Pedroza is the Operations Officer for the Search and Rescue Team under LASD in Altadena, and has worked under the Emergency Services Department for L.A. county in California for the past 10 years. His years of service with the department include special operations with the EPA and becoming a Search Manager for California. His knowledge of technical rescue has been beneficial to the department and public safety. A veteran of the USMC/R as an engineer, supervising the NBC company. Mr. Pedroza is also a technical lab instructor for the EMT program at Pasadena & Glendale City College, as well as the Sheriff’s Department. He also holds certification as a Healthcare Provider and BLS Instructor for the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons/American College of Emergency Physicians.
Jeffrey E. Pollard; Tennessee Valley Authority; Chattanooga, TN Mr. Pollard is currently the Incident Coordination & Support Specialist within TVA's Emergency Management group. He offers great insight to the many TVA strategic business units with regards to NIMS implementation and response along with Incident Command System guidance on training and exercises. Prior to his employment with TVA, he was 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, 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.
Walter "Terry" Pond; Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office; Jefferson Parish, LA Walter "Terry" Pond has been a NIMS and Homeland Security trainer for the University of New Orleans for over five years and is now a trainer for the Public Safety Leadership Institute in Metairie, La. He is presently assigned as a Staff Instructor with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Training Academy. He spent years in Special Operations, Search and Rescue, and SAR K9 as a bloodhound handler. Pond retired as a Senior Corporate Security Agent from Entergy Corporation after 36 years of service.
Bryan Shields; Nevada Department of Corrections; Las Vegas, NV 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.
Larry St. George; Clinton County Office of Emergency Management; St. Johns, MI 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 completed his MS in Homeland Security Management from the Homeland Security Management Institute of Long Island University. He also holds 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.
Gaetano Valastro; International Training Center; Ridgewood, NJ Mr. Valastro has a master's degree in criminal justice, as well as many professional certifications. Born in Italy, where he graduated from ITIS (RJ) and served in one of the elite law enforcement agencies of the country, he emigrated to New York and joined the NYPD, where he received numerous decorations, extensive training and retired as a detective in the forensic division. He is the director of the academy and also the Training Director of ESDISA, an international training institution located overseas. He continues to challenge himself by expanding and upgrading his training curriculum, as well as his training skills. He shares his knowledge and skills with V.I.A. Instructional staff, formed by a group of ranking law enforcement officers. Together, they deliver a highly meticulous, professional training curriculum, required in our sensitive industry.
Tom Vanderwal; Greater Northwest EMS; Bemidji, MN Mr. Vanderwal has worked in his current position at Greater Northwest EMS for 12 years, with a focus on systems development and regional EMS support. Within that role, he has done extensive collaborative interdiscipline work, especially with MN Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Through extensive emergency management training, Mr. Vanderwal has had the privilege of training over 2,500 professionals and volunteers in northern Minnesota. This has also provided tremendous opportunity to create an environment of team development with extremely talented and dedicated individuals throughout the region. The ICS training has built a base for so much more than basic incident response and is included in all activities and events within the region.
Phil Wagner; Disaster Response; Hamburg, MI Chief. Wagner began his fire service career in 1975 as a Fire Fighter in Ypsilanti Township, Mich., where he progressed through the ranks and retired as Fire Chief in 2001. During his tenure at Ypsilanti Township, he maintained certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (Basic/Specialist) and was responsible for fire apparatus maintenance, repair and purchasing. His educational background includes an associate's degree in fire protection from Washtenaw Community College; Michigan Fire Fighter Training Council Fire Officer I, II, and III certification; and the Eastern Michigan University School of Fire Staff and Command. He was one of the first individuals in Mich. to receive Fire Officer III recognition. Mr. Wagner was also a paid-on-call member of the Pittsfield Township Fire Department (1978-1992), serving as a Fire Fighter and Sergeant. He also served with the Augusta Township and Hamburg Township Fire Departments as a POC Fire Fighter. Chief Wagner also served as a Team Leader on the Western Wayne County Fire Mutual Aid Hazardous Incident Response Team (1987-2001) and the Wayne County Technical Response Team. He attained Hazardous Materials Specialist certification and was appointed as Team Coordinator in 1992. He was an instructor at Washtenaw Community College in the fire protection degree program. Chief Wagner was appointed Deputy Fire Chief/Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Romulus in January 2006, where he served until his retirement in April 2010, and was granted Professional Emergency Manager status in 2010 by the Michigan State Police Emergency Management Division. He has been a long-standing member of both the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). He served on the Executive Board of the Ypsilanti Township Fire Fighters Association (IAFF Local 1830) for many years, is past president of the National Association of Emergency Vehicle Technicians and the Michigan Association of Fire Apparatus Supervisors. Chief Wagner currently proctors examinations for the Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification Commission and participated in the development of the NFPA standards relating to apparatus maintenance and Emergency Vehicle Technician qualifications. Chief Wagner continues his involvement in the fire service as a Fire Apparatus Specialist and Sales Representative for two distributors in Michigan, and is a Director of Emergency Services for a disaster response company.
Gary Will, Jr.; Turner Police Department; Turner, OR Chief Will has been the Chief of Police in Turner since June 2004, and has been in law enforcement since 1977. Chief Will holds an Executive Level Certificate from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command Class #186, and has a AS from Clackamas Community College, a BS from Eastern Oregon University, and an MS from Andrew Jackson University. Chief Will served in the Army National Guard, first as a PFC, and later receiving a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the infantry, from which he was honorably discharged in 2001. Chief Will acheived the rank of Major while serving in the Oregon State Defense Force from 2005-2011.
John Wood; Orange County Office of Emergency Management; Bloomingburg, NY 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.
Brian Young; St. Louis Metropolitan Police; St. Louis, MO Sgt. Young has been with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department since 1990 and has been active in the Emergency Management field since 1993. He has served in a variety of positions within the Police Department, including the Bureau of Community Policing, Traffic Safety Division, Operational Planning and Emergency Management Units. Over the years, he has participated in planning for special events, such as the 1999 Papal Visit to St. Louis, 2004 Presidential Debates at Washington University and 2004 & 2006 World Series. He began instructing courses on Incident Command and hazardous materials in 1998. As the focus on terrorism became more prevalent in 1999 and 2000, he began training and instructing those courses as well. In 2004 he became a certified instructor for the Center for Domestic Preparedness by successful completion of the ITC program. Since that time, he adopted the Law Enforcement Protective Measures program for the Police Department, training all 1400 commissioned personnel in WMD preparedness and response. He has incorporated the issuance of Level C personal protective equipment to all Sergeants and Police Officers into the LEPM program to provide both the knowledge of CBRNE hazards and the skill set of personal protection for all personnel. He is now creating a workshop incorporating personal protective gear into a live firearms curriculum, providing an additional skill set to the officers of the SLMPD.