Our Team

Chris Hanson

Director

I have served as an instructor with this training program since 1998. Prior to that, I spent 10 years in the United States Marine Corps, and 7 years working in the dust collection industry and construction industry. While working in both of these industries, I saw substandard training or lack thereof, several workers hurt or killed, and a general lack of safety awareness. Once I became a firefighter, I wanted to go beyond just helping people when they were in need, but to also prevent them from becoming injured or another statistic. Throughout my tenure as a hazardous materials instructor, I have learned a lot from my students and the clients we provide training. It is not a stretch to say that I learn something in every class I teach from my students. Teaching with this program has improved my ability as an instructor, and helped me in the emergency response profession. As the Program Director, I now work with our younger instructors to mentor them into better teachers. I also personally meet with every one of our clients to ensure we are providing them with the training they desire and need. I also audit our classes, making sure we maintain the highest levels of competency and professionalism during delivery.

Tim Murray

HAZMAT Specialist - Instructor

Tim's HAZMAT background started in the U.S. Air Force while he was assigned as a HAZMAT & Weapons courier. While employed with the City of Champaign's Fire department, he was assigned to the HAZMAT Team and certified at the Awareness, Operations, Technician A & B, Incident Command, and Radiological A & B levels. He served as a SWAT Medic for the City of Champaign's Police department and the State of Illinois Region 7 WMD Team. He is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Louisiana State University Weapons of Mass Destruction Tactical Operations Course, Center for Domestic Preparedness COBRA (Live Agent) Course, CONTOMS and various other private, State, and Federal programs. He has firsthand experience interacting with State and Federal agencies regarding the use, storage and inspection of various hazardous materials as a former CEO and owner of multiple businesses. In his spare time he volunteers as an instructor for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Colorado Mountain Club.

Greg Fisher

HAZMAT & Confined Space Instructor

Pam Hartke

Office Support Speciailist

Marie Buckhanon

Office Manager

David Seaholm

HAZMAT Instructor

Ray Kay

HAZMAT Instructor

Dorval Norwood

HAZMAT Instructor

Joel Neal

HAZMAT Instructor

Matthew Kosik

HAZMAT Instructor

Bryce McCormick

HAZMAT Instructor

Bryce McCormick is a career firefighter with the City of Springfield where he is a Captain and Team Leader for the Regional Hazardous Materials Team. He has been a hazardous materials instructor for over ten years for both fire service and industrial settings. He received his Ph.D. in Public Safety from Capella University, a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelors degree from Western Illinois University in Emergency Management.

Matthew Hoffman

HAZMAT Instructor

JP Childers

HAZMAT Instructor

Firefighter – Paramedic with 10 years paid-on-call/volunteer experience and 17 years career experience at Champaign Fire Department. Captain and Acting Battalion Chief of Training at CFD and has been with LER since 2006. Fire Academy and Engine Ops instructor for IFSI since 2012 Technical rescue certified in all disciplines.

Todd Hitt

HAZMAT Instructor