SPEC RESCUE INTERNATIONAL offers a wide range of specialty services that are outside of the instructional and consulting arena. Here are some of the areas where we may be able to assist you. If you have a question about whether it can be done.

• Training and Consulting:
Spec Rescue provides a wide range of training opportunities for your organization. Our training is unique in that we focus on not just the knowledge, skills and abilities you need to succeed but in our “hidden modules” we focus on teamwork, team lifecycles and team decision training. If you don’t see it in this course catalog ask, we custom design courses all the time. If we don’t offer it, we have a partner that does! Our consulting staff is available to evaluate, review and suggest methods and processes that can enhance your organizational capabilities, improve your teamwork and increase your margin of safety while reducing your risk.

• Equipment Sales:
We offer a wide range of equipment from which you can choose. We are primarily an OEM dealer and work closely as prime distributors for some of the most recognized names in equipment. Our equipment cache includes rescue, HAZMAT, tactical, clothing and a robust selection from which you can choose. If you need it we have it.

• Organization Planning and Risk Management:
There is an old saying in risk management “If its predictable, its preventable.” Our risk management programs can help you address everything from OSHA compliance to preparing for catastrophic events, terrorism and plan development and exercise. We are more than happy to discuss your needs.

• Remote search teams:
If you need a team of specialists to locate missing personnel, wreckage or have a unique need that only humans on the ground can provide let us know. We have a wide network of providers, and past military operators and partnerships, which enable us to assemble teams for just about any task. If we cannot assemble the team, or if it is beyond our expertise our partnerships with companies like AMTI, Global Mapping Systems, Blackwater and Waterborne greatly enhance your chances of success.

• Specialty repairs:
We have worked above grade, below grade and at grade to repair some of the strangest items you can imagine. Thousand foot shafts completing pipe work, to rigging high lines to repair netting are just a few of the unique jobs under our belts.

• Confined Space Standby Teams:
If you need professionally run and equipped standby teams for high-risk entries call us. Our team members have been involved in dozens of actual rescues and recoveries. Spec Rescue provides all equipment and personnel. We have provided standby teams for evidence recovery in court cases and in industrial and military settings.

• Expert witness and case reviews:
Spec's personnel are actively involved in providing expert witnesses for cases, case review for attorneys, deposition review and reporting and a wide range of services within the legal system. We have participated in a wide range of case review, reporting and testimony over the years and would be glad to provide references for firms we have worked with over the years. If we do not have someone with the expertise to assist you our wide range of contacts outside of the company will enable us to provide you with an individual or organization that can provide the expert you seek.

• Systems Consulting Consulting/Multimedia:
Spec Rescue offers a wide range of systems consulting practices including but not limited to:
Systems affiliations and mergers
SOP and policy implementation
Program development
Site evaluations and reports
Team evaluations and response improvements
Safety and OSHA compliance consulting
Multi-media script writing, technical expertise and program review
Movie script and cinema subject matter experts and advisors

If you don’t see it here, call us and talk.
If we cannot provide the service we know someone who can

About The Partners
Dean Paderick
Chase Sargent
Rich Alfes
Jonothan Rigolo
Robert Hnatko
Andy Speier
Ralph Trowbridge

Dean Paderick
Partner/COO
hdpaderick@aol.com

Dean Paderick is the Chief Executive Officer of SPEC RESCUE International. He has taught courses at the local, state, and national level, including the National Emergency Training Center/National Fire Academy. Dean has served as faculty and presenter for conferences including FDIC (Fire Department Instructors' Conference) and First Due. He is noted for having started the Heavy and Tactical Rescue Program in Virginia in 1980 and for creating "Da Worm," an internationally recognized Confined Space Training Module.

He has a strong background in instructional development and course delivery on the local, state, and national level. Dean has participated in the development of courses in fire, emergency medical service, incident management, and terrorism, as well as all aspects of technical rescue.

As a member of FEMA's US&R VA TF-2, Dean primarily serves as a Plans Officer, with Safety Officer and Rescue Technician qualifications, as well. He serves on two NFPA Committees: Special Operations Protective Clothing and Equipment (#1951) and Life Safety Rope (#1983). Like many Spec Rescue instructors and partners, he was part of a team that responded to the September 11 crisis.

Dean has been in the fire service since 1965, following a tour with the U.S. Marine Corps. He served as the Fire Chief in Troutville, VA and became a Virginia State Certified Fire Instructor in 1974. He was an Area Supervisor for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs in 1990, later promoted to Director of Training for the Commonwealth in 1994. There, he served as Agency Legislative Liaison as well as the Technical Instruction Supervisor and Coordinator. In February 1998, Dean retired from State Service with over 25 years in the Public Safety arena.

Chase Sargent
Partner
cnsargent@aol.com

Chase Sargent is President of SPEC RESCUE International where he provides technical training and consulting to a wide variety of clients. Chase has trained people all over the world and written over 100 articles for national publications. He is the author of “Confined Space Rescue” and is currently writing “Buddy to Boss.” He has received numerous awards and citations for his work.

Chase retired as a Division Chief from the Virginia Beach Fire and Rescue in 2005 after twenty six and a half years service. He serves as the Chief Tactical paramedic for the FBI Norfolk Division SWAT team. Previously, Chase served as a Battalion Officer in the Special Operations Division, where he was responsible for specialty and traditional response teams. Chase is a past member of the Commonwealth of Virginia Heavy and Tactical Rescue Team.

As a Task Force Leader with Virginia Task Force II FEMA US&R Task Force and the Operations Chief for the White Incident Support Team. Chase has deployed on a variety of large-scale disasters. He has served at the Oklahoma City bombing and at the World Trade Center as well as numerous hurricanes and national security events Chase is an instructor for FEMA US&R Structural Collapse Technician program, and was a past East Coast Task Force Leaders representative and chair of the rescue working group.. He is an instructor for Blackwater - Diplomatic Security Training Division and is an instructor at Sicorro New Mexico - Terrorism Bombing School. He serves on many state and national committees.

Chase has a BS in Forestry and Wildlife from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Golden Gate University. He is also: a graduate of the National Fire Academy, Executive Fire Officer Program; a nationally registered paramedic; a certified Hazardous Materials Technician; a Bio-Chemical Hazmat technician; and, WMD EMS technician.

Chase currently works as an independent contractor for the United States Government.

Rich Alfes
Partner/Northeast Director
rwalfes@aol.com

Rich is the North East Director and a Partner of SPEC RESCUE International. He develops and delivers fire and technical rescue classes worldwide, specializing in Technical Rescue and Special Operations. Rich has trained students at industry-leading organizations including FDIC/ H.O.T. team building, Wolcott Regional Fire School, the Connecticut Fire Academy, and the University of New Haven.

A 21-year veteran of the fire service, Rich is currently a shift commander with the Naugatuck Fire Department. He is credited by his department for the formation of a comprehensive breathing apparatus program and the development of a rescue and collapse unit. Rich received the prestigious Firefighter of the Year award in Connecticut in 2002, as well as numerous other awards and citations throughout his career.

Rich is a Rescue Specialist with the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue program and is assigned to the Massachusetts Task Force, Squad (A). He also serves as an L-2 instructor for the Department of Homeland Securities US&R Task Forces. Rich was one of many Rescue Specialists deployed with the Massachusetts Task Force to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Rich has completed many NFPA-certified courses including Fire Officer, Safety Officer, Hazardous Material Technician and Instructor. Prior to working in the fire service, Rich worked at the Bullard Machine Tool Company for eleven years and attended the University of Bridgeport for Mechanical Engineering.

Jonothan Rigolo
Partner
jrigolo@aol.com

Jon is a Partner of SPEC RESCUE International, where he develops and delivers fire, technical rescue and management classes worldwide. He specializes in HAZMAT management and structural collapse, and is the lead instructor for FEMA’s Structural Collapse Technician course. His duties include the development and delivery of Collapse Technician classes across the country.

Jon is a Captain assigned to a Fire Station Hazardous Materials Response team. He started teaching technical rescue and structure collapse classes in 1990. As a member of Virginia's Department of Fire Programs Heavy and Tactical Team, Jon has developed and delivered technical rescue classes across the state of Virginia.

As a Rescue Squad leader with FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue team VA TF-2 , Jon has responded to many disasters, including the Pentagon deployment of September, 11 2001.

Robert Hnatko
Managing Director
rhnatko@aol.com

Bob is active in instructional delivery to clients as well as curriculum development for many of SPEC RESCUE International’s programs. Bob has also served as Project Manager for several high profile clients in both the public and private market.

Introduced to firefighting by his father, Bob has spent 20 years in the fire service. Starting his career at the age of 14 (as a Junior Vol. Firefighter), Bob currently holds Life Membership status with the Gouldsboro Vol. Fire Dept. in Gouldsboro, PA.

Bob is currently employed by the Chesapeake Fire Dept. Special Operations Homeland Security Division as Firefighter Specialist, Virginia Department of Fire Programs as a Special Adjunct Instructor, Virginia Department of Emergency Management Technological Hazards Division as an Adjunct Instructor, and a member of the South Side Regional Virginia State HAZMAT Response Team as a Hazardous Materials Specialist.

Andy Speier
North West Regional Director
andy@peakrescue.org

Andy is a lead instructor and Director of the North West region for SPEC RESCUE International. He is also a Lead Instructor for the Peak Rescue Institute Rope Rescue Program in Joshua Tree National Park.

A 26 year veteran of the fire service, Andy is currently a Captain for the Snohomish County Fire District 1 in Washington state, as well as the coordinator of the department and regional Technical Rescue Team. He has worked for several departments in the Puget Sound area and was a Firefighter for the FDNY assigned to Ladder 4 and Engine 54 in Midtown Manhattan.

As an Adjunct Instructor, Andy is the lead instructor for the South Puget Sound Community College Rescue Program and is the Director of the NW Office of Spec Rescue. Andy is a member of WA-1 DMAT. He has taught fire and rescue classes for Fire and Law Enforcement agencies throughout the country, and lectured at several national and state conferences. Andy has been awarded numerous medals and certificates of merit throughout his career.

Ralph Trowbridge
Southeast Region Director
specrescue-se@earthlink.net

Chief Trowbridge is the Secretary-Treasurer of SPEC RESCUE International and currently manages the Southeast Region Office. He is a retired fire chief, and has been a course developer and Senior Instructor for Spec Rescue International since 1994. He has delivered training programs throughout the nation and the world.

Chief Trowbridge was a member of the Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department in Virginia for 22 years. He also worked for the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Fire & Emergency Services in Dahlgren, the Hunter Army Airfield and has been an Adjunct Instructor for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Fire Programs. Chief Trowbridge is credentialed as a Hazardous Material Instructor, a Heavy & Tactical Rescue Instructor and a FEMA Structural Collapse trainer. He was awarded the Department of Fire Programs’ Instructor of the Year in 1992.

Chief Trowbridge holds numerous Pro-Board Certifications at the Firefighter, Fire Instructor, and Fire Officer Levels. He is a Georgia Certified First Responder and a U. S. Coast Guard licensed Master Captain. He holds Degrees in Fire Service Administration and Fire Ground Management and has a certificate in Fire Investigations. He is also a National Fire Academy Alumnus and has completed undergraduate work at the University of Maryland. Chief Trowbridge retired from US Civil Service in 2003 with nearly 35 years of service. His Federal career includes service in the United States Marine Corps and one tour in Vietnam.