Vincent Verdadero
"Vincent Verdadero is a fifteen-year veteran in the fire service. Vincent’s career started as a volunteer in New Jersey in 2003. Vincent currently serves with the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department as Lieutenant. Vincent has been a member of the technical rescue team since 2008 where he has promoted in every position within the technical rescue division. As of today, Vincent has been assigned to all 3 technical rescue stations within Prince George’s County. He has obtained his Maryland Instructor Certification Review Board Certification (MICRB) as rescue discipline instructor. Vincent’s passion is technical rescue where he continually reviews training and technique with his crew on a frequent basis. He enjoys rock climbing, personal fitness, and is a firearms enthusiast. In Vincent’s personal life he enjoys sharing a home on the Chesapeake Bay with his wife Amber and their 3 dogs, Sophie, Bella and Bailey".
Curt Wilchek
Curt began his fire service career in 2006 with the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Company #1 in Monroe Township New Jersey. Curt worked for the department of defense as a firefighter for a short time period and began volunteering with the Morningside Volunteer Fire Department in PG Maryland in 2013. Curt is a career firefighter assigned to Engine 3 as well as a member of the technical rescue team in Chesterfield County Virginia. After joining Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department in 2017 curt wrote lesson plans and assists as an instructor in the development of the Smithfield Vehicle Rescue Class.
Jeremy Asencio
Jeremy started his fire service career volunteering in his hometown with the Cornwall-on-Hudson Fire Department in New York. He credits his foundation of basic aggressive firefighting skills to his early mentors from New York. While studying Fire Protection in college he was a live-in with the East Syracuse Fire Department. In 2014 he was hired by the City of Virginia Beach Fire Department and in 2015 joined the Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department. He is a Master Firefighter assigned to Engine 2 and a Field Training Instructor in Virginia Beach, and a former Lieutenant in Smithfield.
Jason Probst
Jason Probst is an operational Battalion Chief with the Virginia Beach Fire Department. Throughout his career he has served in both the Operations and Training Divisions and has an extensive background in Technical Rescue. Jason currently holds positions as a Virginia Department of Fire Programs Adjunct Instructor with the division of Heavy and Tactical Rescue and serves as the Co-Chair of the Confined Space Rescue and Vehicle Rescue committees. He currently holds the position of Rescue Squad Officer and Lead Structural Collapse Specialist Instructor for the FEMA VATF-2 US&R team. Additionally, he travels across the United States teaching specialized rescue classes concentrating in Heavy Vehicle/Big Rig Technician, Structural Collapse Specialist, Paratech University, Advanced Heavy Lifting and Moving and Leadership Development for both Blue Collar Training Network and Spec Rescue International.
Pat Walsh
Pat was raised in the fire service with both his father and grandfather being local volunteers. He started volunteering at his home town department in Cicero, New York when he turned eighteen. Two years later, he became a live-in firefighter at Station 34 in Prince George's County, Maryland. Patrick lived there for three years, and gained a vast knowledge of aggressive truck company operations. He then moved back to New York to finish his schooling. While there, Pat joined the Moyers Corners Fire Department, Station 3, where he served for two years. In 2010, Patrick moved to the Hampton Roads area and started working for the Newport News Fire Department. Pat has been a member of Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department since 2013 and is one of the orginial instructors for the truck company operations class.
Nick Crumpler
Nick Crumpler got his start volunteering at the Carrollton fire department in 2012. In 2014 he joined Smithfield fire department as a live in for 3 years , he is currently active at the rank of lieutenant. While volunteering he was hired by the Newport News fire department in 2015 . He currently at firehouse 2 and is on the technical rescue team . He is a 3rd generation firefighter for Newport News. Nick holds all technical rescue certifications at the technician level and has been assisting with special operations for the Smithfield fire department. He has assisted with instructing at the Smithfield truck company operations for the past 3 years and is also a instructor for the annual vehicle rescue class .
Charlie Kempton
Charlie is a Battalion Chief with Hampton Division of Fire/Rescue. He started his career in the City of Hampton as a volunteer in 1992 and was hired as a full time firefighter in 1996. He is currently assigned to Battalion 2 on B shift. He served on the HFD technical rescue team as one of the team leaders and as the team safety officer. He is the Assistant Chief of Operations with Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department. His certifications include Fire Officer II, Instructor II, EMT-I as well as many technical rescue certifications. He serves as an instructor for the Tidewater Regional Fire Academy. Charlie is a STIHL safety instructor and a STIHL maintenance technician. He holds a BS from Columbia Southern University in Fire Science and is a Designated Fire Officer by the Center of Public Excellence.
John Burruss
John experience in fire and rescue service spans more than 33 years. I'm a career master firefighter with substantial experience in emergency medical and rescue services. I'm particularly interested in heavy and technical rescue program instructional development, management and course delivery on the local, state and national level.
I've been actively involved in Emergency Services since 1980, combining both career and volunteer experience in both the fire and rescue fields. I wrote the vehicle extrication awareness, operations and technician level classes used by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads. I've presented at the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (FDIC), North Carolina Fire and Rescue Instructor Conference, New Jersey Vehicle Extrication School, Nebraska Vehicle Extrication School, JEMS EMS Today Conference, Maryland’s Parascope EMS Conference, Virginia State EMS Symposium, Andy Frederick’s Training Days and have written articles for Fire Rescue Magazine and Virginia Fire News Magazine.
John Rigolo
Jon Rigolo is a Captain with the Virginia Beach Fire Department assigned to Rescue 2. Captain Rigolo is a Task Force Leader with Virginia Task Force 2 one of the 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Teams and has deployed nationwide on events of national significance. He is a technical rescue instructor for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and Spec Rescue International where he is the lead for the delivery of fire, rope rescue, industrial rope access and water rescue training worldwide.
Brian Sanzo
Brian began his fire service career back in 1986 at the Phoebus Volunteer Fire Department in Hampton, Virginia. He became a career fireman in 1993 with the City of Newport News, were he is currently a lieutenant. He is currently a member of NNFD Special Operations, Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team, a FEMA USAR Instructor and a Virginia Department of Fire Programs adjunct instructor. He is also a paid employee for Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department.