Our Staff

Staff Biographies

Russell Phillips - Founder/Principal

Russ founded the company in 1976. He has been a fire and emergency management professional since 1970, assisting over 1,200 health care facilities in the development of their required Joint Commission Statement of Conditions, general facility-wide and department-specific Fire and Disaster Procedures, and a unique, hands-on staff training program for all staff members, including special care areas of ICU and OR. He has a degree of distinction in Fire Science, as well as experience in drafting, and is a current member and past chairperson of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 99 Chapter 12, Emergency Management Technical Committee and a member of the Joint Commission Committee on Healthcare Safety.

As a frequent contributor to healthcare journals, Russ’s articles have appeared in such publications as Code Red of the NFPA Health Care Section, Health Facilities Management, and Nursing Home Long Term Care Management to name a few. Russ continues to conduct seminars for healthcare associations and has made many presentations for the NFPA, American Hospital Association, and American Health Care Association. Additionally, he designed Health Care Mutual Aid Evacuation and Supply Plans for numerous municipalities, including areas within New York State and Nevada.

Most recently, Russ was involved in educational research regarding the impact that disasters such as Tropical Storm Allison in Houston, Texas; the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC; and the 2004 hurricanes in Florida and Hurricane Katrina had on healthcare facilities. He continues to service clients out of our Eastern Region office.


David R. Hood - President/Principal

Dave is a Principal with the firm and serves as President of the organization. He has been with the company since 1995. Dave continues to consult and presents to healthcare clients and professional organizations nationwide. Dave was elected to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Healthcare Section Executive Board in 2007 where he serves as a board officer. He is also the Chairman of the NFPA Healthcare Section Education Committee and a Vice Chair of the NFPA Healthcare Section Codes & Standards Committee. Dave sits as a principal member on the NFPA 101 Technical Committee on Healthcare Occupancies and the NFPA 1600 Technical committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity.

Dave has presented at various conferences and forums, including but not limited to, the National Fire Protection Association’s World Safety Conference (NFPA), the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (FDIC) and the annual American Society for Healthcare Engineering Conference (ASHE). Past topics have included the Joint Commission Statement of Conditions, development of emergency management plans, the Hospital Incident Command System, and full building evacuation systems. He has managed projects ranging from emergency management planning for a thirty-bed nursing care facility to Joint Commission life safety compliance consulting for a one hundred and twenty-building healthcare system. Dave also has fire service experience at the Company Officer level in both Prince George’s County, MD and Monroe County, NY.

Dave has a degree in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland and is a member of the NFPA, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE).


Scott Aronson - Principal

Scott has been a Principal with the company since 1999, but has worked with the healthcare industry since 1994 on areas of safety, emergency management and compliance. Scott directs the company’s efforts in marketing, strategic partnerships and finance and has been involved with several reviews of staff performance during healthcare fires and disasters. Scott lectures nationally on surgical fires and emergency management for groups such as HcPro, UHF of New England and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). He also provided technical content for and participated in the production of the training video OR Surgical Fire Training: How to Prevent and Respond to Surgical Fires.

In 2004, Scott was a member of the Advisory Board for Boston University to design a new distance learning Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management and Organizational Continuity. In 2006, he served on a review committee alongside the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), the Chair of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 99 Healthcare Emergency Management Technical Committee, and a FEMA contractor to review the impact of Hurricane Katrina on healthcare facilities. While on project in Mississippi and Louisiana, Scott worked with several hospitals and nursing homes that either evacuated or were able to remain open during the disaster.

Prior to joining Russell Phillips & Associates, Scott served as Vice President of Corporate Accounts for MedSafe, a national healthcare consulting firm that addressed corporate compliance, Joint Commission accreditation, safety and emergency management. In 1998, Scott co-founded Jen’s Friends Cancer Foundation in North Conway, NH, whose primary purpose is to provide supplemental financial assistance for cancer patients in the Mount Washington Valley Region of New Hampshire and is operated entirely by volunteers. Scott served as its President and Chairman from 1998-2003 and maintains his direct involvement as an Advisor to the Board of Directors.

He received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science/Justice Studies from the University of New Hampshire and his Masters of Science in Management with a concentration in Homeland Security Management from St. Joseph College. Scott was previously certified as an Emergency Medical Technician in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is a member of the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), the New England Healthcare Engineers' Society (NEHES), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and AORN.


A. Richard Fasano - Manager, Western Region/Director of Quality

Rich has been with the company since 1984. His extensive background in the fire service began in 1971 with ten years of service as a Municipal Fire Marshal. Since 1984, Rich has assisted over five hundred hospitals, nursing homes and medical groups in developing fire, emergency management and evacuation protocols for such complex areas as operating rooms, special care units with life-support equipment and ancillary departments. He has managed large-scale projects ranging from a six million square foot healthcare system in the Midwest to a project for the Veterans Administration that included the design of an Emergency Management Plan for a forty-two building healthcare system in California. To compliment his programs, Rich also has a degree in photography, enabling him to incorporate realistic and visual scenarios into his training programs.

A former firefighter with eighteen years of experience, Rich is an active member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and has authored articles for the Health Care Section of the NFPA and has presented at their annual meetings, as well as Health Care Association seminars. In addition to consulting, Rich is the Western Region Manager for Russell Phillips & Associates and has taken over the responsibility of overseeing quality management within the company.


Robert Day - Senior Consultant / Safety Officer

Bob has been with the company since 1993 and a Fire/Safety Professional since 1967. He holds a degree in Fire Protection Technology and has in-depth experience in the fire and emergency management field. This includes six years as a Municipal Fire Marshal and twelve years experience being responsible for all fire/safety at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He also has thirteen years of fire fighting experience.

Since joining the company in 1993, Bob has assisted many healthcare facilities in the development of their Joint Commission Statement of Conditions and Fire/Disaster Procedures, as well as provided hands-on training programs for leadership and staff. He has authored several articles on fire and emergency management and is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), where he serves on the Healthcare Section Education Committee, in addition to other related professional associations.

Bob is the Senior Consultant for the Eastern Region Office, often serving as project manager for various large-scale endeavors and is the firm’s Safety Officer, overseeing internal safety compliance programs.


John Nolan - Senior Consultant

John has been with the company since 1997. He is a cum laude graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology/Industrial Risk Management and also holds a degree with honors in Fire Protection from New Hampshire Technical College. John was instrumental in the design of an emergency management plan in Washington, D.C., which assisted the Veterans Administration in preparing for any type of disaster, and he has designed and presented seminars on emergency management and the Joint Commission Statement of Conditions to many of the national clients we serve.

In addition to his work in healthcare fire protection, John has earned both fire fighting and emergency medical certifications and holds membership in the Healthcare and Educational Sections of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). He has also served as a board member for a non-profit animal welfare/rescue organization in Rochester, NY. He continues to be involved with every aspect of the firm’s consulting work, providing clients with consultation regarding fire procedures, code consulting and emergency management.


Jack Johnson, CFPS - Corporate Training Coordinator

Jack has been with the company since 1999. Jack is a graduate of distinction with a degree in Fire Protection Technology and a member of Phi Theta Kappa. He has been a firefighter since 1974 and Advanced Life Support Technician since 1978. Jack holds numerous state and federal certifications including Codes, Safety Officer and Fire Investigation. He is also a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a Certified Fire Protection Specialist, and a lecturer at numerous conferences including HcPro audioconferences and the Society of Health Care Safety Specialists. Jack developed and organized a dive rescue team that serves the western portion of his home community. Additionally, he frequently speaks for his local county STOP-DWI program.

In addition to supporting clients by providing fire safety, life safety code / Joint Commission Statement of Conditions and full building evacuation programs, Jack addition is the firm’s Corporate Training Coordinator; he provides training oversight to our three offices and is based out of our Eastern Region office.


Dan Holmstedt - Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Dan has been with the company since 2000. Dan’s degree is in Theology, but his work experience is in Healthcare Fire Protection and Security. Since 1989, Dan has worked in the healthcare industry, ensuring fire protection, life safety, and security for patients and staff.

Dan served in a 300-bed acute care hospital and medical center, dealing with all aspects of fire training and life safety code management. During this same time, he gained experience in construction and was a general partner in a remodeling business. This provided Dan with good, practical skills to add to his code consulting endeavors. He services clients out of our Western Region Office as a fire and emergency management consultant.


Paul McManus - Assistant Manager, Eastern Region Office

Paul joined the company in 2003 after spending more than twenty-five years in healthcare security and fifteen years in the fire services. Prior to joining Russell Phillips & Associates, Paul managed safety and security in a large acute care health system in upstate New York. He also served as a security consultant to Fortune 500 companies in the US and abroad. He has had specialized training in Foreign & Domestic Terrorism; Conflict Management & Crisis Intervention; and Department of Defense Emergency Responder Training for Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Responder Operations. In addition, Paul has extensive background with the fire services, acting in the capacity of Fire Chief and line officer in Ontario County, NY and a Company Officer in Monroe County, NY. His fire service certification involved conducting fire investigations at the local and county level, as well as in the insurance industry.

Paul has been providing emergency management and fire safety to our clients and has been instrumental in our most recent modifications to our Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) customization and leadership development program. Additionally, Paul is the Assistant Manager for the Eastern Region Office where he supports the operations of our corporate office.


Rob Dobberstein - Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Rob joined the company in 2004. He brings unique experiences to the firm with a background in the emergency medical services and architecture. He has served as an Operations Officer and Mass Casualty Incident Coordinator for an emergency medical services company in Fairport, NY is currently a firefighter at his local department.

Rob holds degrees in Architectural Engineering Technology from the State University of New York College of Technology at Alfred and is also an EMT Skills Instructor at Monroe Community College. He is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) will be focusing on fire protection and emergency management consulting for clients in the eastern United States and Canada. Rob services clients out of our Eastern Region office.


Joseph Craver - Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Joe joined the company in 2005 bringing with him over twenty years of experiences in Emergency Medical Services and firefighting. Joe was a founding member of Carrier Emergency Services in Syracuse, New York, where he spent fifteen years as a technician and five as Assistant Director.

Joe’s background also includes specialized skill development ranging from EMT Defibrillator and Disaster Drill training to terrorism response and Public Service Critical Incident certification. He is currently completing a formal degree program in Emergency Management to augment his extensive practical experience and will be servicing clients out of our Eastern Region office as a fire and emergency management consultant.


Nicholas E. Gabriele, CFPS - Manager, New England Region Office

Nick joined the company in 2005 after retiring as the Fire Chief for the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation in Southbury, Connecticut. He brings to the company over twenty years of fire, emergency management and code compliance experience, with a special focus in healthcare, and he also holds a Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Fire Protection Technology. Nick’s fire safety experience includes years as both a career and volunteer firefighter; in addition, he is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS), certified Fire Service Instructor and has taught advanced courses in firefighter training, incident command and hazardous materials response.

Nick has earned numerous recognitions throughout his career including several Life Saving Awards and the CT Governor’s Service Award. He was also recently appointed to the Connecticut Dept. of Public Safety Fire Prevention Code Advisory Committee. Nick is the Manager of our New England Region Office, where he will continue his fire and emergency management work in training, facility-plan design and code compliance.


Roger E. Welch, Sr. - Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Roger joined the company in 2005 after working for more than seventeen years at Eastman Kodak. In his last ten years, he served as a New York State certified Firefighter/EMT/HAZMAT Technician in the Fire & Emergency Services Department. Roger has also spent the last twenty-two years as a volunteer firefighter/EMT working for the North Greece Fire Department (fifteen years) as well as the Greece Ridge Fire Department (three years). He has also been involved in special volunteer projects that include being a current Junior Achievement volunteer, where he educates various 1st and 2nd grade classes.

Over the past seven years, Roger has been working diligently with the fire prevention committee in his town and has been spearheading public awareness for the lack of visible house numbers during emergencies. He has an Associate’s degree in Fire Protection Technology and completed his certification in 2005 as a New York State Intermediate EMT. Roger will be working out of our Eastern Region Office and supporting clients with fire safety and emergency management training and consulting services.


William A. Frarey - Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Bill joined the company in 2006 after spending twenty-seven years at the Eastman Kodak Company in the Fire & Emergency Services Organization achieving the rank of Deputy Chief, Emergency Management & Prevention. Throughout his career, Bill provided technical support to both risk management and property conservation programs. In addition, Bill worked closely with the corporation’s insurance underwriters and local municipalities during both new construction and renovation projects to ensure that life safety, along with applicable building codes, were being met.

Bill holds an Associate’s degree in Fire Protection Technology, is New York State Building Code certified, and is a current member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). In addition, and while being affiliated with the NFPA, Bill served as a member of the Technical Committee for NFPA 72 (Nation Fire Alarm Code). Bill will be working out of our Eastern Region office, where he will continue his fire and emergency management work in training, facility-plan and code compliance review.


Norbert H. Holderle, CSP - Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Norb joined the company in 2006 after serving over thirty years with the Eastman Kodak company. With extensive experience in emergency planning—including site preparedness, emergency drills, procedures and confined space training—and eleven years as one of Kodak’s safety engineers assessing health, safety and compliance issues, Norb brings a depth of experience to the firm.

Norb holds Associates Degrees in Fire Protection Technology and Business Administration. He is a Certified Safety Professional and has also been a career fire fighter and Deputy Fire Marshall with the town of Gates, where he conducted building inspections and developed and implemented fire safety training programs. In addition, he is a life member of the Gates-Chili Volunteer Fire Department where he served as Line Officer. Norb joins the firm as a fire and emergency management consultant servicing clients out of our Eastern Region office.


Bruce E. Lian - Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Bruce joined the company in 2006 after serving twenty-fire years as a law enforcement officer with the California Highway Patrol. After completing his training with the California Highway Patrol and receiving his Peace Officer Standards and Training certificate from the State of California, Bruce graduated with honors from the United States Air Force as a Fire Protection Specialist. He served five years as a volunteer fire fighter in West Islip, NY and has also been an emergency incident manager and first responder involved with fires, floods, hazardous materials, in addition to other significant disasters. Bruce will be working out of our Eastern and Western Region office providing fire protection services to our clients.


Joseph W. Beadle - Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Joe joined the company in 2006 after serving over twenty years as a fire fighter and fire instructor. For eighteen of those years, Joe served as Fire Marshall for the Town of Winchester in Winsted, CT and functioned as both the Fire Marshall and Fire Chief for the last ten years.

A graduate of the State of Connecticut Fire Academy with additional certifications from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, he brings to the company in-depth fire training, fire investigation, and code compliance expertise. Joe is also a committed community volunteer. He is currently an executive board member for the regional Haz-Mat team for Connecticut’s Region 5, and in 2005, offered thirty volunteer days with FEMA to aid in the immediate relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. Joe joins the firm as a fire and emergency management consultant and will be servicing clients out of our New England Region office


Darren Osleger – Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Darren joined the company in 2007 after serving as a casualty adjustor for Insurance Adjustment Service. Active in the fire services since the age of fourteen, Darren spent nine years as a professional fire fighter with the Vernon, Connecticut Fire Department and continues his service in a volunteer capacity. Darren graduated from the University of New Haven with a B.S. in Fire and Arson Investigation and deepened his education in emergency management through national training programs. In 2000, Darren completed a certificate program in Emergency Response to Terrorism with the National Fire Academy, and in 2006 earned an additional certificate from the Department of Homeland Security for his study of the National Incident Management System. He joins the firm as an emergency management consultant and will be servicing clients out of our New England Region office.


David Drozdziel – Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Dave joined the company in 2007 after serving over thirty-two years at Eastman Kodak Company—seventeen of which were spent as a safety engineer. Dave brings to the company an extensive knowledge of both the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code and New York State Code compliance, as well as OSHA general industry construction and laboratory standard. He is a certified NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code official and holds an additional license as a general building and home inspector. Through his recent work as a safety engineer and his early work as a technical and mechanical professional with Eastman Kodak, Dave has been involved with numerous training and program-development efforts addressing emergency preparedness, emergency action plans, safety drills and inspections. He joins the firm as a fire and emergency management consultant and will be servicing clients out of our Rochester office.


Stephen C. Van Etten - Fire and Emergency Management Consultant

Steve joined the company in 2007 after serving over thirty years in law enforcement; the last twenty-four with the Riverside, California Police Department. A graduate of California State University Fullerton with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, Steve brings to the firm not only his extensive experience as a law enforcement officer, but also his expertise in arson, fire and explosive-incident investigation—most of which was conducted collaboratively with the local fire department. He has been an active public speaker on topics relating to personal safety, earthquake and disaster preparedness and has pursued course work to support his personal interest in building construction and its related mechanics and technology. Steve will be working out of our Western Region office providing fire protection services to our clients.


Chris Breed - Consultant

Chris has been with the company since 1995, initially as a full-time consultant and currently working in a per-diem capacity. Since 1998, Chris has been a Career Firefighter with the Rochester, NY Fire Department and is currently the 1st Assistant Chief for the Ontario Fire Department with direct responsibilities for the training of the firefighters.

Chris has a Degree with Distinction in Fire Protection Technology from Monroe Community College with additional formal education through the City of Rochester Fire Academy. He also has specialized education in many areas including Emergency Control of Hazardous Materials Incidents, Incident Command and Emergency Response to Terrorism through the National Fire Academy. He is a member of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs and services clients out of our Eastern Region office by providing fire trainings, conducting drills and fire protection surveys, and acting in a support capacity for the Joint Commission Statement of Conditions.


Christie Battaglia - Office Coordinator

Christie has been with the company since 1999. She graduated from Monroe Community College in 1994 with a degree in Office Technology, Executive Secretarial and was the recipient of the Florence M. Ophardt Award for Most Likely to Succeed in the Secretarial Field. During college, Christie worked as a college co-op at Eastman Kodak Company in their Customer Service Department, and upon graduating, began a full time position with Eastman Kodak Company as a Customer Service Representative, Administrative Services Assistant and Executive Secretary. As the Office Coordinator working out of our Eastern Region office, she currently provides coordination services for the entire company, in addition to the production of client deliverables and client relations support.


Jeanne Phillips - Finance

Jeanne has been with the company since its’ founding in 1976. In 1981, Jeanne received her RN from Genesee Community College and began working as a nurse at Park Ridge Hospital in Rochester, NY. While working for Russell Phillips & Associates during the day, she also worked the evening shift Park Ridge Hospital from 1981 to 1999, serving more than sixteen of those years as an Emergency Department nurse. Currently, Jeanne provides support in the areas of finance and human resources out of our Eastern Region office.


Valerie White - Administration

Valerie joined the company in 2004. She worked over twenty-five years at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, where she supported clients throughout the United States and Canada on all areas of customer service. Prior to working for Kodak, she worked in the billing department and emergency room at Myers Community Hospital. She is directly responsible for all Russell Phillips & Associates’ scheduling functions and offers customer service to our clients out of our Eastern Region office.


Christina Klauck - Administration / Finance

Chris has been with the company since 2004. She came to Russell Phillips & Associates from General Motors Acceptance Corporation Financial Services in Henrietta, NY, where she was a Credit Administrator working to evaluate customer financial situations to determine the best course of action with the General Motors clients. Prior to that, she worked at the Catholic Family Center in Rochester, NY where she served as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Finance.

Chris has her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the State University of New York at College of Brockport and will be involved with all financial functions by coordinating client billing and collections. Chris is based out of our Eastern Region office, and in addition to her role in finance, will also be leading the firm’s efforts in the area of Human Resources operation.


Joshua Sloat – Business Development

Josh joined the company in 2005 after working as part of an inside sales team at Medsafe, Inc., a national healthcare consulting firm in Waltham, Massachusetts that addressed corporate compliance, Joint Commission accreditation, safety, and emergency management.

Prior to his time in the healthcare field, Josh completed a Master of Arts in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Albany in New York, where he was awarded both a Teaching Assistantship and GRI Fellowship. Josh brings both his experience in the healthcare field and the academic arena to our clients, whom he will service in the area of business development out of our New England Region office.


Patricia A. Hoefler – Administration

Pat joined the company in 2006 after more than twenty-six combined years in project management with Xerox and Electronic Data Systems. While at EDS, Pat taught courses on project management and graduated from EDS’s Global Project Management Excellence Program.

In her free time, she earned her license as a private pilot, volunteered as an emergency medical responder, and trained for marathons—two of which were fundraising efforts supporting her involvement with the Arthritis Foundation. Pat joins the firm as a production specialist and will be working as part of our administrative team in our Eastern Region office.


Julie Blue - Administration

Julie joined the company in 2006 after two years with Progressive Direct Marketing in Depew, NY, where she was involved in administration and direct mail marketing and proofreading.

Julie graduated Magna Cum Laude from SUNY at Brockport with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing and a minor in Art History; she is also an award-winning, published poet. Julie joins the firm as part of our administrative team as a writing and proofreading specialist and will be servicing clients out of our Eastern Region office.