Staff Qualifications

Staff Qualifications

 

START Group personnel are experts in vertical, confined space and trench rescue. Most of these personnel have been certified through the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal and are currently employed as Firefighters/Rescuers in various Illinois cities. In addition, a number of the staff members have been instrumental in establishing technical rescue curriculum in the State of Illinois and throughout the Midwest.

START Group personnel are trainers of OSHA and Federal regulatory compliance regarding respiratory use, confined space entry, trenching, emergency traffic control, fall prevention, hazardous materials mitigation (including WMD), and mass transit. The START Group field staff frequently completes confined space standby attendant and rescue work. 

In 1998, START Group began to provide expert witness testimony regarding confined space and trench compliance and technical rescue activities. In 2003, the Director of the START Group provided expert testimony to the National Committee on Uniformed Traffic Control Devices and was selected for this Federal Highway Committee in 2005.

The START Group personnel also deliver fire suppression and industrial fire brigade training, along with emergency medical training (first aid, CPR and AED).