Randy journigan
Chief Executive Officer/ Chief Financial Officer
Randy Journigan began his career with the Thalia Volunteer Fire Department in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1976. He joined the paid ranks of the Virginia Beach Fire Department on July 1, 1980 as a firefighter. After 37 years of service in most ranks within the department, he retired as the Deputy Chief of Operations on June 30, 2013.
Chief Journigan operated in many roles within the department serving both line and staff functions including resource management, station design, apparatus purchasing and budget administration. He has provided oversight for all special operations functions including the Hazardous Materials Team, the Technical Rescue Team, the Marine Response Team and the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team VA-TF2. He was appointed Deputy Chief of Operations in July 2007 with responsibility of all operational functions for the department including Safety and the Emergency Response System.
Chief Journigan maintains his active status with the National Urban Search and Rescue Program (DHS/FEMA) through Virginia Task Force 2. He is currently the Incident Support Team Leader on the Red IST and is involved on several workgroups and the National Advisory Organization.
Upon his retirement from the fire department in 2013, Randy worked as the Chief Operations Officer with Spec Rescue International, Inc. providing consultation, instructional, operational, and management services. Among his regular duties with the business, he specializes in exercise facilitation and instruction for emergency management. In 2017 he became the Chief Executive Officer with overall management of the company and has continued to serve the organization.
Chief Journigan holds an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Fire Science from Tidewater Community College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Richmond. He is currently pursuing a Master Degree in Disaster Science from the University of Richmond. He received Chief Fire Officer Designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and completed the Executive Fire Officer program from FEMA National Fire Academy.
Randy has been married to his wife Vala for 42 years and is proud of his three children (a son and two daughters) and his six grandchildren.
lARRY PHILLIPS
DIRECTOR OF CONTRACT SALES
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.
Rich alfes
Director of educational services
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.
RAY Irizarry
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.
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