Dennis Macedo
BOARD PRESIDENT
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.
Currently a member since 1993 of the FEMA/Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Team, as a Rescue Team Manager. He has responded to some of the country’s worst man-made and natural disasters, most notably the collapse of the World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina. Dennis is also a Deputy Operations Chief with the FEMA Incident Support Team (IST) and has many deployments filling other positions within the IST. Dennis has served as the Co-chair of the Rescue Working Sub-Group, as well as the rewrite committee for the latest versions of FEMA’s Structural Collapse Specialist, and Heavy Equipment Rigging Specialist Programs.
Dennis served as a Coordinator for all fire and professional development programs at the Barnstable County Fire and Rescue Training Academy as well as a Specialty Instructor for the New Hampshire State Fire Academy.
A certified Fire Service Instructor, a FEMA certified lead for Structural Collapse and Heavy Rigging Specialist as well as an adjunct Task Force Leader and Safety Officer for FEMA. Dennis is currently the President of SPEC International, while delivering and coordinating many programs both in the United States and Internationally over his many years with SPEC International.
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LARRY PHILLIPS
BOARD VICE PRESIDENT
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
BOARD SECRETARY
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, Rich’s duties include coverage of 14 square miles of Urban and Rural responses with primary duties of fire suppression and technical rescue operation. Rich has been accredited for the formation of a comprehensive breathing apparatus program and development of a rescue and collapse unit for the Department. In the year 2002, Rich received the prestigious, Fire Fighter of the year award in Connecticut. He has also received the Fire Mark award from the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and two citations from the City of Naugatuck for outstanding service and valor.
Rich is 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. He also 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. Rich was one of many Rescue Specialist deployed with the Massachusetts Task Force to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Recent activations or deployments have included the Democratic National Convention, Hurricanes Katrina and Ernesto, Ike, Irving, Sandy, Dorian and many other federal and state deployments.
Rich has a background in the machinery industry and worked for the Bullard Machine Tool Company for Eight years. While working at Bullard Machine Tool, he attended the University of Bridgeport, achieving a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
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. He is the Northeast Director for Spec. Rescue International. Rich is currently one of eleven corporate partners of Spec. Rescue International where he develops and delivers fire, technical rescue management classes.
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Randy Journigan
BOARD TREASURER
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.
OPEN POSITION
DIRECTOR
TO BE ADDED