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Agenda

Functional Position Description

Dave MacDonald

Born in Southern Ontario, Dave spent his childhood in the outdoors hunting, fishing, and exploring with friends and family. Listening to his grandparents stories of adventure in the outdoors, inspired a real hunger for knowledge, experience and personal growth. In 1993, Dave challenged himself as a Canadian Forces Search and Rescue Technician (similar to American Para Rescue Jumper (PJ)) and was accepted into one of the Canadian Forces elite trades. His first posting as a SAR Tech was CFB Trenton, Ontario (424 Transport & Rescue Squadron). 6 years later he was posted to CFB Winnipeg, Manitoba (435 Transport, Air-to-Air Refueling, and Rescue Squadron). Assigned to the Canadian Forces School of Survival and Aeromedical Training (CFSSAT), Dave served 6 years as a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Instructor for both Basic (overt survival) and Advanced (covert survival) SERE courses. Retiring after 25 years of military service and remembering the sights seen and lessons learned, Dave created the International Canadian School of Survival Inc. (ICSOS Inc.). This school is his way to contribute to the search and rescue systems and pass on his experiences, unique skill sets and the survival knowledge contained within the military communities worldwide. If both the persons in distress and the rescuer have similar emergency training, then the rescue operation should be faster and safer for all. Professional Certifications: • Military Search and Rescue Technician;     • Ground Search Manager;   • Red Cross First Aid Instructor;  • Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) Instructor; • Manitoba hunting guide; • Firearms Instructor (non-restricted and restricted);

Standard

History

Bridge WAFA to WFR

Jon Tierney

Jon lives in Orono, ME and is an internationally licensed IFMGA mountain guide. He has been an active outdoor educator and paramedic for 25 years. He teaches courses in avalanche science, wilderness travel, mountaineering, and technical rescue. He has been teaching for WMA since the eighties. Jon co-founded and directed the University of Maine outdoor program for seventeen years. He now owns Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, is active in Maine search and rescue and continues to work as a critical care paramedic in Maine. Jon began exploring outdoors and climbing in the mid 70s. His first expedition was hiking the Long Trail with a fellow 8th grader. With a passion for rock, snow, and ice, Jon's accomplishments as a climber and guide include over 70 high altitude peaks as well as many first ascents worldwide. Within the AMGA he serves on the technical committee as an instructor/examiner and was the primary author of the nationally recognized Top Rope Site Manager course curriculum. Most recently he co-founded the Professional Climbing Instructors Association. Formerly he worked as a climbing and backcountry ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park where he helped to institute wilderness medical and ALS practices and he has served as a search and rescue volunteer on Denali. Jon strives to synthesize good concepts, challenge usual paradigms, and develop new ideas to raise guiding and wilderness education standards.

Thora Jonasdottir

Thora is a full time working veterinarian for over 30 years, where of 20 years in Norway at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Medicine in Oslo, specialising in companion animals, oncology and first line emergency. Eventually she returned to Iceland and now works for the Icelandic veterinary authority. Thora is certified EMT-B, and is now …

Billie Jo Senecal

Billie Jo has lived in the western mountains of Maine her entire life. For the past 5 years she has worked as a ED Nurse in Charge at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington Maine. She also worked as a critical care RN for Maine General for 16 years. She spends her free time camping, hiking and kayaking around the western mountains of Maine during her free time. She currently resides in New Portland, Maine.

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