2025 Speaker Bios
Baxter, Christina
CEO, Hazard3/Emergency Response TIPS
Christina Baxter, PhD, is the CEO of Emergency Response TIPS, LLC which provides practical, evidence-based solutions for emergency response through the development of next generation tools for enhanced responder safety and education in the areas of CBRNE, hazardous materials, and clandestine laboratory response. She was also a co-founder of Hazard3, a Hazmat/CBRN training company, which was bought by Safeware Inc in 2023. Prior to forming Emergency Response TIPS, LLC in 2017, Dr. Baxter was the CBRNE Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Defense Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) where she was responsible for developing and fielding domestic and international next generation capabilities for the CBRNE countering terrorism response elements. She was responsible for the organizational design, maximizing partnerships, and identifying and securing resources for the CBRN enterprise. During her tenure at CTTSO, Dr. Baxter oversaw the international agreements for CBRNE capability development with Australia, Canada, Israel, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Prior to moving to the Department of Defense, Dr. Baxter held various positions in Atlanta-Fulton County (GA) Emergency Management, Douglas County (GA) Fire Department, and Douglas County (GA) Emergency Management Agency, and the Center for Emergency Response Technology, Instruction, and Policy (CERTIP) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Dr. Baxter holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She has over 25 years of experience in the hazardous materials/CBRN response community where she remains active teaching, performing research, and participating in the standards development processes.
Bivens, Christopher
Science Officer, 5th Civil Support Team
Maj Christopher Bivens was born and raised in Springfield, IL. He Attended college at Western Illinois University and Graduated with a degree in Microbiology, with a Chemistry Minor in 2001. He worked as a Laboratory manager at SIU school of Medicine in Springfield. His focus for his five years of employment focused on vascular treatment in a mouse model of breast cancer. He deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008. Upon return from the deployment, he began a career with the Military. Starting with the Civil Support Team in 2012. He has served as the science officer for the team for over twelve years. His duties include PPE selection, Decontamination Decisions, Threat Assessment, Mitigation advice, GCMS, PCR, and Toxin detection.
Bivens, Emily
Operations Officer, 5th Civil Support Team
Emily Bivens currently serves as the Operations Officer for the 5th Civil Support Team/ Weapons of Mass Destruction since January 2023. She has coordinated over 70 training opportunities and supported mission for Federal, State, and Local Hazmat Response, Emergency Management, and Law Enforcement Organizations. She brings to the unit more than 11 years of experience in Domestic Operations working as the Executive Officer/Deputy for the Counterdrug Program which provides analytical support to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, aviation observation and reconnaissance in support of officer safety, and strategic planning support to community-based coalitions. Bivens established herself as a financial subject matter expert at a national level for the Counterdrug program developing and instructing new training material and conducting inspection and site-assisted visits in support of National Guard Bureau. Bivens also served as a law enforcement officer with the Leland Grove Police department from 2014 to 2018. Bivens is happily married, for over 20 years, and a proud mother of an 18-year-old daughter.
Caviggiola, Sheila
WMD Coordinator, FBI Chicago
Sheila Caviggiola has been a Special Agent (SA) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since 2016 and is currently the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Coordinator for the Chicago Field Office. The WMD team is responsible for all investigations related to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats. In addition to investigations, the WMD team emphasizes outreach/training events and maintaining liaison relationships to prevent WMD attacks in the Chicagoland area. SA Caviggiola is also a member of FBI Chicago’s Hazardous Evidence Response Team (HERT). Prior to joining the FBI, SA Caviggiola was a research and development chemist developing sensors for detecting toxic gases using liquid crystal technology. SA Caviggiola also worked as an analytical chemist conducting pharmaceutical and medical device testing for product release.
Clare, Hunter
Training Division, Peoria Fire Medical Arizona
I have been with the Peoria Fire Medical Department for 21 plus years, work my way up from EMT firefighter running our training division. Helped to establish and get the grant that established our first hazmat technician team in 2006 taking to the streets in 2007. I currently run our training division for paramedicine, special operations, and fire. I am also lucky enough to teach for our regional Phoenix system for the same areas and serve as an IAFF hazmat instructor and burn coordinator. I thank you for the opportunity to train with your members and share ideas.
Clark, Steve
Director, SYGNAL
Steve is a Captain with one of Canada’ s largest Fire Departments and was a member of his departments Hazardous Materials team for nearly 10 years. Previous to that, he worked in the private sector as a hazmat responder for a national spill response contractor. Steve has been in the fire service for approximately 15 years, and has taught, written, and spoken on Hazardous Materials and CBRNE response internationally.
Cullen, William
Partner, GoldShield TEAM LLC
William Cullen has over forty years of emergency services experience. Bill is a Senior Fire Instructor at the Somerset County (NJ) Emergency Services Training Academy and a NJ Level 2 Instructor. He is certified as a Firefighter and Incident Management Level 3 in NJ. He serves as a Hazardous Materials Technical Specialist with the Franklin Township Office of Emergency Management. He is also a principal in GoldShield TEAM LLC where he provides consulting and training to public and private entities as well as a consultant with Emergency Management Solutions. He retired as the Assistant Emergency Coordinator at a large research facility of a Fortune 100 corporation. He is a former Fire Chief and former Fire Commissioner from Fire District No. 1, Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ. Bill has been a contributor and reviewer of a hazardous materials technician textbook, is a frequent presenter at hazardous materials conferences and has provided training to emergency responders throughout the United States.
Drabick, Keith
Fire Chief, East Palestine Fire Department
Keith A. Drabick serves as the Fire Chief for the Village of East Palestine Ohio. Chief Drabick has 38 years’ experience in the Emergency Services field. Originally from Western Pennsylvania. Chief Drabick worked diligently throughout his career to obtain a multitude of certifications and experience in the Emergency Services field for both volunteer and career departments and organizations. Chief Drabick obtained an Associates Degree in Emergency Medical Technology, Bachelors Degree in Fire Service Administration, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration. Chief Drabick is involved in several Emergency Services related organizations including but not limited to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Ohio Fire Chiefs Association, Columbiana County Fire Chiefs, and the National Fire Academy Alumni Association.
Emery, Rick
President, Emery & Associates, Inc.
Rick is President of Emery & Associates, Inc., a firm specializing in consulting and emergency response training since 1993. He began his fire service career in 1970 in the Chicago-metro area and has over 50 years of experience in emergency response. Rick attained certification as a Firefighter III, Fire Instructor II, Fire Officer II, Haz Mat Technician and Haz Mat Specialist. He completed SWAT training in 1974 and was a consultant for the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) when formed in 1982. Rick was appointed as the first Team Coordinator to create the Lake County Hazardous Materials Response Team in 1983. He served as a lead hazardous materials instructor at the Illinois fire academy, and an adjunct instructor for the National Fire Academy. He retired from the fire service in 1993 as a career Captain, including 10 years as Coordinator of the Lake County Hazardous Materials Response Team. Rick validated as a Subject Matter Expert for the Department of Defense Domestic Preparedness training program in 1997. He has presented over 2,000 hazardous materials and terrorism training courses to municipal, government and industrial entities, including the FBI’s haz mat program and at the Department of Justice Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama. Rick provided training as an ICS team leader for the Department of Justice at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games and was a member of a specialist team at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in 2003. He provided advanced support for the Department of State and corporate security overseas. Rick has been a principal member of the National Fire Protection Association Technical Committee on Hazardous Materials Response since 2000 and a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Hazardous Materials Committee since 2010. He served on the Department of Homeland Security’s committee to develop performance criteria for methods for the detection and identification of biological threat agents. Rick is a frequent speaker at hazardous materials training conferences and classes throughout the United States, and he has conducted training in Canada, Europe, Cuba, Sweden and Asia.The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ honored Rick with the “Level A” award at the International Hazardous Materials Response Conference in Baltimore in 2012. The “Level A” Award bestows the highest level of professional recognition to individuals who have provided an exceptional level of leadership, service and commitment to the mission and goals of the hazardous materials response community. Rick received the “In the Zone” award in 2013. The International Fire Chiefs Association presented him with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the International Hazardous Materials Teams Conference in 2017. Rick was awarded the “Dieter Heinz Instructor of the Year” in 2023.
Ferretti, Timothy
President/ Lead Instructor, Ferretti Salvage and Recycling
Tim is the Safety Manager for multiple companies throughout Illinois in the Scrap metal and Automotive recycling industries. A former Marine with Hazmat and electronics training Tim transitioned to the scrap and auto recycling safety field in 2010. Throughout his career Tim has been developing safe procedures for, and training salvage yards on, how to dismantle Propane, Hybrid, Electric, CNG, and LNG vehicles as each new model is released. After expanding into the industrial demolition industry Tim was trained and certified as a HAZWOPER Supervisor then HazMat Tech. Tim has most recently began instructing HazMat level classes as a Subject mater expert in the AFV/EV/HEV systems.
Frost, Toby
Training Program Manager, Safeware/ Hazard3
Toby Frost retired from the Lafayette Fire Department in Indiana as a Battalion Chief. He was a Team Leader for their HazMat Team and the founder of their Illicit Lab Response Team. He was a department instructor for fire fighters, recruits, and local industry teaching fire science, technical rescue and hazardous materials. He is a continuing lecturer at Purdue University in the School of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. He has presented across the country at hazmat conferences including the IAFC International Hazardous Materials Conference, The Hot Zone, and at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC). As a contract instructor Toby has helped train federal, state and local responders across the country and internationally. Toby serves as a HazMat Manager for FEMA -INTF-1. Toby is a principal member of the NFPA Hazardous Materials Committee. He is a current Board Member for the Indiana Alliance of Hazardous Materials Responders. BC Frost is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a BS in Fire Science Engineering Technology and of the NFA Executive Fire Officer Program. In 2018, Toby was recognized by the IAFC Hazardous Materials Committee with their “Level A” Award and in 2019, by the Hot Zone Conference with the “In the Zone Award” and in 2024 as the “Dieter Heinz Instructor of the Year”.
Greene, Chris
Seattle Fire Captain (Retired), Energy Hazard Training
29+ years in the fire service. Retired in June of 2023 as a Captain and the Energy Response Team Supervising Officer for Seattle Fire Dept. I developed Seattle Fire and Seattle City Light’s energy hazard response specialty team. I was responsible for developing protocols and best practices for emergency response incidents that involved energy hazards. This Energy Response Team is the first of its kind. The team is tasked with addressing emergencies involving substations, switchgear, manholes/vaults, transformers, batteries, photovoltaic, overhead and underground electrical hazards, and DC traction mass transportation infrastructure. Additionally, I was responsible for providing all energy training and standard operating procedures for the Seattle Fire Department. In 2017 I was awarded “Seattle Fire Officer of the year” for my work with Seattle City Light in developing the Energy Hazard program. I am a perennial national speaker on energy emergencies as they apply to the National Fire Service and author for Fire Engineering magazine – “Energy Hazards Column”. Through Energy Hazard Training, I provide training to both Fire Service professionals and Energy workers throughout the nation.
Harmon, Alissa
WMD Coordinator, FBI Chicago
Alissa Harmon joined the FBI as an Intelligence Analyst in September 2008 after graduating from the George Washington University with a master’s degree in forensic science. Alissa spent approximately four years providing tactical and strategic analysis to the counterterrorism squad in Milwaukee, WI before becoming a Special Agent in 2012. Alissa has worked as a case agent on counterterrorism and criminal squads, while also being a full-time member of the Evidence Response Team and Hazardous Evidence Response Team since 2013. Alissa was selected to become the HERT Coordinator in April 2021.
Hawley, Christopher
COO, FBN Training
Chris owns FBN Training, which provides Hazardous Materials/WMD training worldwide. He is also the Chief Operating Officer for Emergency Management Solutions, a training and consulting group focused on emergency response. He was a founding partner of Blackrock 3, providing Incident Management Training for technology organizations Previously, he was a Deputy Program Manager responsible for WMD and Counterproliferation courses within the DOD International Counterproliferation Program (ICP). This cooperative program with the FBI and DHS provides threat assessment, Anti-Terrorism and HazMat training, and full-scale exercises worldwide. Before this position, Chris was the Special Operations Coordinator for the Baltimore County, MD Fire Department. Chris was a firefighter for 24 years and a HazMat responder for 37 years. He is the author of several HazMat and Terrorism response textbooks and most recently published his 3rd Edition of Monitoring & Detection textbook with Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Herrera, Dshawn
Dangerous Goods Officer, Cn
CN Dangerous Goods Officer for the Chicago zone. 13 years in emergency response from public to private
Lindley, Barry
Senior Chemist / Consultant, Bad Day Training & Consulting
Barry Lindley was a DuPont employee from 1979 to July 1, 2015, when DuPont spun off Chemours FC, LLC. He acquired extensive experience in emergency response activities as an Integrated Emergency Response team leader and safety officer for DuPont and Chemours. Barry provided considerable resourcing to DuPont sites, Fire Departments, LEPC’s and other emergency response groups particularly in the areas of chemistry of reacting and burning materials, explosives, environmental monitoring and plume modeling, personal protective equipment selection, and hazardous materials handling safety. Barry was a DuPont/Chemours HAZMAT instructor from 1988 until he retired in May of 2016. Barry assisted in DuPont’s Teir II and other environmental reporting programs. He is currently employed by Specialized Professional Services, Inc. as a senior chemist and consults for other emergency response contractors from around the world. He is an instructor for Bad Day Training & Consulting. Barry is currently the Response Planning Coordinator for the Kanawha Putnam Emergency Planning Committee. Barry is in the NFPA 470 Committee and is the Chairperson for IFSTA First Responder.
Lipski, Frank
President, Sims U Share
Frank Lipski was a 27 Career Fire Captain / Paramedic (Ret.) with the Florissant Valley Fire District. He is the President of Sims U Share Software – Providing realistic simulation building tools for emergency responders & corporate ERT members. He has a passion for finding ways to seamlessly integrate technology tools into training and response for all areas of emergency response. He has been an active instructor in the fire service and at FDIC as well as numerous other conferences and training events across the country.
Murphy, Eddie
Emergency Response Liaison, US DOT PHMSA
Eddie Murphy is the Emergency Response Liaison for Outreach, Engagement and Grants, in the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety in Washington, DC. Mr. Murphy has more than 30 years of experience in hazardous materials and oil spill preparedness, response, training and emergency management. He has been a PHMSA employee since 2012 and has worked for both the Office of Pipeline Safety and the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety. Eddie was previously employed by Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Office of Emergency Management in Tampa, Florida, Chatel Inc., and is veteran of the United States Coast Guard. Eddie is originally from Ithaca, New York and attended Cornell University. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Thomas Edison State University.
Ramsey, Brian
Owner, Emergency Response Training Group
With over 35 years of emergency response experience in the following disciplines: Industrial, Municipal, and Emergency Response Contractors, Mr. Ramsey brings real world experiences to life in the classroom through his lectures and demonstrations. Mr. Ramsey is a retired Fire Chief from Eastman Chemical Company, based out of Kingsport, Tennessee he currently owns Emergency Response Training Group LLC and provides emergency response training throughout the United States. Mr. Ramsey is an adjunct instructor for Tennessee Fire Codes Enforcement Academy, he holds certifications as an IFSAC Journeyman fire fighter, Fire Instructor II, Fire Inspector I, Rope Rescue I, Tennessee Emergency Medical Technician, Hazardous Materials Specialist, Rail Car Specialist, Highway Transportation Specialist, and Emergency Response Transportation Specialist. Additionally, Mr. Ramsey is actively involved with the Sullivan County LEPC for over 10 years, he has served as chairman, vice chair, and hazmat sub-committee chair. ERTG provides PHYSICAL and CHEMICAL PROPERTIES of HAZARDOUS MATERIALS to various emergency responders all over the United States, additionally ERTG provides specialized ERT training to industrial, Oil and Gas, and Pulp and Paper companies. 20 years.
Rudner, Glen
Consultant/Instructor, GDR Consulting
Glen Rudner retired as a Manager, Environmental Operations, for the Norfolk Southern Railway with environmental compliance and operations responsibilities in the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Prior to moving over to Environmental Operations, he was the Hazardous Materials Compliance Officer for NS’ Alabama Division covering the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Western Georgia, and Southwestern Tennessee. Prior to NS, Glen served as one of the General Managers at the Security and Emergency Response Training Center in Pueblo, Colorado. Has worked as a private consultant and retired as a Hazardous Materials Response Officer for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Glen has nearly 47 years of experience in public safety. He spent 12 years as a career firefighter/hazardous materials specialist for the City of Alexandria Fire Department, as well as a former volunteer firefighter, emergency medical technician, and officer. As a subcontractor, he has served as a consultant and assisted in development of many training programs for local, state, and federal agencies. Glen serves as secretary for the National Fire Protection Association Technical Committee on Hazardous Materials Response He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Hazardous Materials Committee, member of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), and former Co-Chairman of the Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition. He has served a member of the FEMA NAC RESPONSE Subcommittee
Ruesch, Paul
On Scene Coordinator, U.S. EPA Region 5
Paul earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He started at US EPA in 1991 as an environmental engineer in the RCRA solid & hazardous waste program. Paul took a break from 2004-2007 to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mexico, working on remediation projects & emergency response planning within the state-run oil refinery system (PEMEX). Paul has served as a Federal On-Scene Coordinator on emergency responses and time-critical removal sites since 2010, most notably on the Kalamazoo River in Michigan cleaning up PCB contamination. He has also been actively assisting the State Department and the US Agency for International Development on enhancement of waste management in Central America and the Caribbean in accordance with international trade agreements since 1995.
Russell, Scott
Owner / Training Coordinator, The Meter Guys
Scott Russell is a 30-year Veteran of the Baltimore County Fire Department where he is a Captain with the Hazardous Materials Response Team. He is also a voting member of the NFPA 470/475 committee and collaborates on numerous research and development task groups vetting the next generation of Hazmat PPE and equipment. He also is an IAFF Hazmat instructor bringing quality training to Fire Departments around the country. Scott retired from the Air Force after 27 years of service as a Lieutenant Colonel with the Delaware Air National Guard’s 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. He performed Evacuation of wounded, deploying nine times in support of four different overseas contingencies. He also executed Disaster/Emergency planning with the Air National Guard specializing in Hurricane evacuation/disaster response. Scott’s education consists of an AA Emergency Medical Services, BS in Nursing, and a MS in Disaster/Emergency Management. His love is First Responder training and instilling his Safety Through Knowledge™ concepts; with training focused on the responder with the principles of STK™ and the KISS (keep it simple stupid) concept. He is passionate about First Responder training, getting off the computers and training hands on in person. His goal is to promote Survival and Safety on incidents and to prevent Cancer in first responders. He also volunteers with A Soldiers Journey Home which is dedicated to building houses for combat wounded Veterans.
Schick, Doug
Hazardous Materials Coordinator, Chicago Fire Department
Doug has twenty-eight years of experience in the fire service and is currently a Deputy District Chief and the Hazardous Materials Coordinator for the Chicago Fire Department. Previous to this position he was the Captain of HazMat Company 5-1-1 which is one of two full time, fully staffed companies in Chicago that specialize in responding to hazardous materials incidents. In addition to that he has 12 years of experience in the Chicago Fire Department Squads as both a firefighter and an officer. The CFD Squads respond to all hazards including emergencies involving fire, technical rescue, and hazardous materials. Doug has also been an instructor in firefighting, technical rescue, and hazmat for the last 12 years at the Quinn Fire Academy and multiple suburban fire academies. His educational background includes an undergraduate degree in physics and several years of graduate studies in physics.
Silverman, Keith
Partner, GoldShield TEAM LLC
Dr. Keith Silverman is a former Chief Operations Officer in the chemicals industry. Throughout his career, he has focused on the hazards and risks posed by hazardous materials. This includes strategies and practices for managing risk, designing and operating chemical processes safely, responding to hazardous materials events (e.g., natural disasters, mechanical and process failures, and transportation emergencies), and managing incidents worldwide. He is a NJ-certified firefighter, fire inspector, and fire instructor with thirty-five years of experience in municipal and industrial emergency response, including 10 years as a chief officer. He serves on the TRANSCAER® Executive Committee as a member and past chair, instructs at the Somerset County (NJ) Emergency Services Training Academy, and is an adjunct professor at NJIT. He is a past member of the IAFC Hazardous Materials Committee, the Board of Governors of the Society of Chemical Manufactures and Affiliates, and the Advisory Board for the Center for Chemical Process Safety. Dr. Silverman earned his doctoral degree in chemistry and environmental science from NJIT and holds a Master of Public Health degree in occupational and environmental health, as well as a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Rutgers University. He is a frequent presenter on topics such as safety, process safety, hazardous materials, and incident management.
Wiseman, Darrell
Lead Instructor, 1st Response Consulting
Darrell B. Wiseman retired as a 32-year veteran Fire Captain with the Phoenix Fire Department and a member of their Special Operations Team as both Hazardous Materials and Technical Rescue Technician along with being a Helicopter Rescue Crew Chief. Darrell was a member of the FEMA team for 23 years, Arizona Task Force 1 (AZTF-1) from 1997-2019, he was deployed to Salt Lake City for the World Olympics and assisted with the rescue/recovery of Hurricane Katrina. Darrell finished his last 10 years assigned as the Special Operations Safety Officer and Hazardous Materials Continuing Education Manager.
Zientek, Jeffrey
President, HIRT LLC
Jeff Zientek is a retired Fire Captain that served 33 years with the Phoenix Fire Department and is a certified Technical Rescue Technician, Hazardous Materials Technician, and Helicopter Rescue Crew Chief. Jeff was a member of FEMA, Arizona Task Force 1 (AZTF-1), for 25 year of his career and in his time with FEMA had been on deployments to Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics, 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City, and the devastating hurricanes of 2005 in southern U.S. (Katrina/Rita). Jeff is the author of the book “Hazmat Response; A Field Operations Guide” which is an operational guide for people who encounter hazardous materials in their work life, in addition, he also instructs throughout the world in hazardous materials mitigation and rope rescue techniques. Jeff has a BS degree in Homeland Security & Emergency Management from Grand Canyon University. He is married, has 4 adult children, and enjoys hiking and riding on two wheels (road bike, mountain bikes & motorcycles)
