RAY Irizarry
Chief executive officer and director of operations
Ray was a professional firefighter for 33 years. His career included assignments to various stations including engine and ladder companies, HAZMAT and technical rescue stations. Additionally, he was assigned to the Virginia Beach Fire Department and Currituck County Fire-EMS Training Divisions, certified as a firefighter instructor since 1996, he was responsible for firefighter training of incumbent and recruit personnel from 2012-2021.
He has been a member for Federal Urban Search and Rescue Team, Virginia Task Force 2, since 2002. Ray has been on many deployments, from hurricanes to the Haiti earthquake, to the most recent Champlain Towers collapse and Hurricane Ian. He is currently the Deputy Chair of the FEMA Advisory Organization Search Sub-Group, contributing to FEMA's Search courses and doctrine.
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Rich alfes
CFO
Rich Alfes is a 30-year fire officer veteran who commanded fire ground and rescue operations with the Naugatuck Fire Department. In charge of (A) platoon, his duties include coverage of 14 square miles of Urban and Rural responses with primary duties of fire suppression and technical rescue operation. Rich is also a Safety Officer / Rescue Specialist with the US Department of Homeland Securities, FEMA, Urban Search and Rescue program. He is assigned to the Massachusetts Task Force and is a Safety Officer. Additionally, he serves as a Lead Instructor (L-2) for the National Response Systems Structural Collapse Technician course and Heavy Equipment Rigging Specialist course and Safety Officer.
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After entering the fire service, Rich attended many NFPA, certified, fire related courses including Fire Officer, Safety Officer, Hazardous Material Technician, and Instructor. Instructing since 1993, Rich has instructed for organizations that include, FDIC/ H.O.T. team building and Breaking Breaching of Concrete, Burning metal, Coordinator of Fire Rescue’s H.O.T. sessions, Wolcott Regional Fire School, the Connecticut Fire Academy, and the University of New Haven. He has instructed both nationally, and internationally in areas of Technical Rescue and Special Operations.
lARRY PHILLIPS
DIRECTOR OF Special contracts & projects
Larry previously served as Educational Services Director and is currently serving as Director of Contract Sales. Prior to assuming this position, Larry served as a Lead Instructor for Spec Rescue International for several disciplines. Prior to his position at Spec, Larry served with Norfolk Fire & Rescue Department. While with the Norfolk Fire & Rescue Department, he advanced from the ranks of Firefighter to Firefighter Paramedic Lieutenant.
Larry has served on numerous local and federal task forces. He was a Board Member for Tidewater Emergency Medical Services. He has been deployed numerous times with FEMA US&R and VA-TF 2. He holds a BS in Health and Physical
Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and an NREMT-P from Tidewater Community College.
Dennis Macedo
Director of education services
Dennis is a highly accomplished fire service and technical rescue professional with over 30 years of operational, instructional, and leadership experience. He retired from the City of New Bedford (MA) Fire Department after 33 years, where he served as a company officer on the city’s busiest apparatus, Coxswain for the Fire and Rescue Marine Units, and earned multiple commendations, including a Firefighter of the Year Unit Citation.
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Since 1993, Dennis has been a Rescue Team Manager with FEMA/Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue, deploying to major national disasters such as the World Trade Center collapse and Hurricane Katrina. He also serves as Deputy Operations Chief with FEMA’s Incident Support Team and has led national training initiatives, including co-chairing the FEMA Advisory Organization Rescue Sub-Group and contributing to FEMA’s Structural Collapse and Heavy Rigging Specialist programs.
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A certified Fire Service Instructor and FEMA lead instructor, Dennis has held training leadership roles with the Barnstable County Fire and Rescue Training Academy and the New Hampshire State Fire Academy. He is currently President of SPEC International, where he oversees and delivers specialized rescue and fire service training programs across the U.S. and internationally.
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Dennis spent 33 years with the City of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Fire Department. He served the many of those years assigned as a company officer to the busiest apparatuses in the city. He also served as a Coxswain for the Fire and Rescue Marine Units for 12 years. During his career, Dennis, received three commendations from the city and a Firefighter of the Year Unit Citation from the State of MA. He also provided Technical Rescue Training to members of his department.
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