Co-Owner/Instructor
Craig “Doc” Spieker
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Craig has been involved in organized SAR work since 2005 and is a Co-Owner/Operator of Buckeye Emergency Response Training School. He is a Nationally Registered and Ohio certified Paramedic, Ohio EMS Instructor, Type III Incident Commander and is certified by the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) as a SARTECH I/Crew Leader, Hug-a-Tree, ISAR, FunSAR, ADSAR, SARIA, MLPI and Fundamentals of Mantracking Instructor, SARTECH I, II & III Lead Evaluator, and an ASHI CPR/AED, ACLS, PALS, First-aid, Emergency Oxygen Administration and Advanced Wilderness Emergency Medical Instructor as well as NASAR’s Wilderness Emergency Care (WEC) Instructor. He is a certified Instructor for FEMA’s IRTB (Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings) and PRSBI (Prevention of and Response to Suicide Bombing Incidents) as administered by the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He is a 2010 graduate of the National Search and Rescue School. Additionally, he has been trained in NASAR’s Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Advanced Search and Rescue, Haz-mat Technician, Rope Rescue Operations, Swift Water Rescue Operations, Wide Area Search, Search Management Theory, CERT, multiple FEMA courses, NAEMT Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) Advanced Provider Instructor, APCO Emergency Medical Dispatcher Instructor, CEVO Driving Instructor, Ohio Peace Officer Certification, Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) Driving Instructor, OPOTA Pursuit Termination Techniques Instructor, Police Radar Instructor, Stop Sticks Instructor, Nationally Registered Paramedic, Firefighter I certified, Wilderness EMT, AHA BLS Instructor, ACLS, PALS, NRP and PHTLS, TOX-MEDIC, Master Rescue/Recovery Diver, Underwater Investigations, Confined Space Rescue, Machinery Rescue, Structural Collapse Rescue, Ice Rescue, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Train the Trainer, HAM Radio Technician as well as many various other courses. He is a contributing author for collegiate and international studies of Search & Rescue. Craig is also a Director for NASAR, serving on the Board from 2018-2022.
He has worked and/or trained with U.S. Military and Foreign Special Forces personnel, U.S. Deputy Marshals, FBI Agents, CIA Agents, U.S. Postal Investigations as well as multiple police and sheriff’s departments, local, state and abroad. For advanced police training and search and rescue, he has trained and/or certified persons from 38 different states and 6 other countries. In 2012, he was awarded the Presidential “Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition for his volunteer work, which is the highest Presidential award bestowed to a civilian.
He has 5 years active Army experience as a Combat Airborne Military Policeman, stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina from 1990-1995. While stationed in NC, his tours of duty include serving in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm; Panama; Newfoundland; Homestead, Florida for Hurricane Andrew relief efforts and have conducted various other missions around the world. In 2006, he was selected as Ohio’s Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year. In 2012, he retired as B Company, 1st Civil Support Battalion’s First Sergeant in the Ohio Military Reserve, where he was a Military Security Specialist, Senior Military Emergency Management Specialist, trainer and leader.
Craig is a retired Police Officer with over 30 years of Law Enforcement experience and has an AAS Degree in Criminal Justice Technologies. He served in the Patrol Division as a Traffic Accident Reconstructionist, Emergency Medical Dispatch Instructor, Emergency and Pursuit Driving Instructor, Crisis Intervention Officer and a Master Underwater Crime Scene Rescue/Recovery Diver. He still serves as a Sheriff’s Office Reserve Deputy & Public Safety Diver, as the County Underwater SAR Team Coordinator.
He just retired as the Chief for Hanco EMS in November 2021. He is a retired “Lifetime Member” of Liberty Township Fire Department, where he had 30 years of firefighting experience, was a Captain/Medic, and was selected as “2012 Firefighter of the Year”. He is a Haz-Mat Technician with the Findlay/Hancock County Haz-Mat Team, an FAA Licensed Pilot for the Hancock County UAS Team and a member of the Northwest Ohio CISM Team. He has served over 15 years with the Ohio Special Response Team, which was an associate member team of the Mountain Rescue Association, as the Commander of Unit 2 and Lead EMT for the organization as well as in the training division. Additionally, he is a member of North East Ohio-SAR (NEO-SAR) and the Tyler County OEM Search & Rescue Team in West Virginia. He operates Buckeye All-American Firearms, which is a new business operating under BERTS. He is a certified Law Enforcement Armor and GunSkins Applicator. He is currently working on his Gunsmithing certification.
Craig is a 2nd Degree Black Belt in American Karate through Champion Karate Centers and the World Martial Arts Federation. He has also holds a 1st Degree Black Belt in the Chuck Norris System (Chun Kuk Do) through the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF). Craig is an avid shooter, bow hunter, fisherman, and he loves to camp. He loves the outdoors and enjoys all that it offers. He is an Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America, earning this honor in 1990 and still serves as a Merit Badge Counselor. He has been married to Jill for 32 years, who is very supportive and encouraging and they have two children: one young lady and one young man, ages 29 & 24 respectively. He and his wife enjoy attending and serving at church on the safety and security, medical, greeting and ushering teams.
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Co-Owner/Instructor
Jerry “Whaler” Whaley
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Jerry has been involved in organized SAR work since 2005 and is a Co-Owner/Operator of Buckeye Emergency Response Training School. He is a Type III Incident Commander and certified by the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) as a SARTECH I / Crew Leader and certified Instructor and Train-The-Trainer for Hug-a-Tree, ISAR, FUNSAR, ADSAR, SARIA, MLPI, BWFA, WFA, WFR, WEMT, SARTECH I, II & III Lead Evaluator. Jerry is a Nationally Registered Paramedic, Wilderness EMT, and Firefighter. Additional formal trainings include the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center’s Inland SAR Course; SAR Incident Command; NASAR’s Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Advanced Search and Rescue, Search & Rescue Initial Actions, and Managing the Lost Person Incident; Rope Rescue Operations; Swift Water Rescue Operations; Wide Area Search; Lost Person Behavior; Advanced Man Tracking; Haz-Mat Operations; Confined Space; Community Emergency Response Team Train the Trainer; HAM Radio Technician; PADI SCUBA Diver and Public Safety Diver; multiple FEMA IS & residential courses; Unusual and Advanced Unusual Investigation training; Sex Crime Investigations; forensic interviewing, crime scene investigations and preservation; and extensive child abuse and neglect trainings. He has worked and/or trained with US Military Special Forces personnel, U.S. Deputy Marshals, the FBI, FEMA, CSI’s, Departments of Natural Resources, multiple state and local EMA’s, police and sheriff’s departments. For Search & Rescue training, he has trained and/or certified persons from 40 states, 4 countries, and all branches of the military, and is a consultant for international SAR advancement and education. He has been awarded the Presidential “Call to Service Award” in recognition for his volunteer work.
Jerry served in the Ohio Military Reserve, the Ohio Special Response Team, as a member of North-East Ohio-SAR (NEO-SAR), the Tyler County, WV, OEM Search & Rescue Team, as a member of the Northwest Ohio CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) Team, as a full time EMS shift Lieutenant/Paramedic, a part time Fire Fighter/Medic and a Sheriff’s Special Deputy & Public Safety Diver.
Jerry is a Licensed Social Worker of more than 28 years, currently a CPS worker with Lapeer County DHHS. He served as a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and is a contributing author for collegiate and international studies of Search & Rescue. Jerry is a current member and the Ground Team Leader of the Lapeer County Search and Rescue team.
Jerry is an avid backpacker with more than 1,600 trail miles. Retired from competitive bicycling and triathlon as a 4x IRONMAN competitor, he and his wife are now avid mount bikers. He holds Black Belts in both American Karate and the World Martial Arts Federation. He has 2 grown sons who share many similar passions. Jerry wears many hats and has multiple titles. His favorite is “Dad”.
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Instructor
Dr. Rob “Snapple” Davis
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Rob has been involved in organized SAR work since 2012. He is a Registered Nurse (RN) with almost 20 years of experience in several areas of nursing including medical intensive care and most recently as faculty in the Master of Science of Nursing program at the Chamberlain College of Nursing where he teaches in the Nurse Executive track. Rob earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from Case Western Reserve University. Prior to his career in nursing Rob was a Sheriff’s Deputy for the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department in SC where he was a K-9 officer and also worked in traffic enforcement, narcotics/vice, and D.A.R.E. As a K-9 officer Rob and his K-9 Sabel worked with the U.S. Marshall’s fugitive task force, and they were the primary narcotics detection team for the SC Department of Corrections and the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office.
In the SAR world, Rob holds certifications with NASAR as an Instructor, SARTECH I/Crew Leader, SARTECH II Lead Evaluator, SARTECH I Evaluator, and Canine SARTECH III. He is a Lost Person Behavior Instructor and is also certified as a Wilderness First Responder and holds ASHI Level 9 instructor status. Rob is a graduate of the National Search and Rescue School where he completed the Inland SAR Planning Course taught by the U.S. Air Force. Other SAR courses include: Wide Area Search, K-9 critical Care, K-9 Disaster for First Responders, Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Advanced Search and Rescue, ICS 300, ICS 400, and Rope Rescue I.
Rob is a SAR resource for two Child Abduction Response Teams (CART) and the Ohio Region II USAR team. He handles his NASAR certified wilderness area search, Probie. Rob and Probie have participated in numerous actual SAR missions including several high-profile cases. He is also training K-9 Arie in human remains detection.
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Instructor
Beth “Runway” Davis
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Beth has been involved in organized SAR work since 2012. She is K-12 and college level music educator in Northeast Ohio. In the SAR world, Beth holds certifications with the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) as a SARTECH I/Crew Leader, SARTECH I Evaluator, SARTECH II Lead Evaluator, and Canine HRD Evaluator. She is also certified as a Wilderness First Responder. She is a NASAR certified K9 handler for Human Remains Detection and Area Search. She has additional training in: Lost Person Behavior, SARIA, MLPI, K-9 Critical Care, Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Advanced Search and Rescue, ICS 100, ICS 200, NIMS 700, NIMS 800.
Beth is the primary K-9 and SAR resource for two Child Abduction Response Teams (CART) and the Ohio Region II USAR team. Her K-9 partner, Shadow, is a German Shepherd from Westwood Kennels in Hilliard, Ohio. Shadow is currently certified through NASAR in Human Remains Detection- Land. Beth is also NASAR certified with K-9 Probie, her husband’s K-9 partner, in Wilderness Area Search.
Beth is also a certified instructor for ASHI Wilderness Medicine, NASAR Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, and Robert Koester’s Lost Person Behavior course.
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Instructor
Nicolas “Raptor” Spieker
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When Nicolas was only a Senior in High School, he had already begun a stellar career in Search and Rescue. He was the youngest in World to earn his NASAR SARTECH I certification and was the youngest NASAR SARTECH II Evaluator ever known to NASAR, obtaining this certification at the age of 15! At 18, he went through the Instructor and Lead Evaluator workshops, and we were very pleased to move him from “Support Staff” to a full-fledged “Instructor”.
Nick began his SAR career in 2013, taking NASAR’s Fundamentals of Search and Rescue course and obtaining his SARTECH II certification. He also graduated NASAR’s ADSAR course and obtained his SARTECH I/CrewLeader III certification in early 2015. He enjoyed SAR work so much that he decided to assist BERTS with SARTECH evaluations and assist with BERTS classes, since he was too young to serve on a team at the time.
Nick is a University of Dayton 2021 graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. He was in the Army ROTC Program with the “Flyer Squadron”. Nick is now a 1st Lieutenant, serving in the Active component of the U.S. Army, stationed in Anchorage, Alaska as an Airborne Infantry Officer with the 11th Arctic Airborne Division as a Heavy Weapons Platoon Leader.
Nick is an Eagle Scout, earning this prestigious rank in 2014 and earned 51 merit badges. He is a Wilderness First-Responder and BLS certified. He is a certified Scuba-diver, a United States Power Boat Squadron boating course graduate and has his Ohio Boater’s license. Nick was also a member of the Hancock County Fire/EMS Explorers.
Nick loves the outdoors. He is an avid deer and turkey hunter, loves to fish, camp, hike, rappelling and playing baseball and wrestling, where he was a High School Varsity Letterman. He is also a Black Belt in American Karate through the Champion Karate Center. Nick also is a member of the audio-visual, sound and camera crew and enjoys ushering and greeting at his church.
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Instructor
Rich “Skar” Meyers
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Rich started his professional career receiving his associate degree in applied science and began working as a massage therapist and a chiropractic assistant. He later changed career paths and has been involved in the fire service for the last 13 years where he is currently a full time Fire Fighter with the Marion Township Fire Department. Rich also serves his immediate neighbors and friends as a part-time Fire Fighter/Paramedic with the Pleasant Township Fire Department in the township where he lives.
Rich has additional training as a high angle rope rescue technician, confined space technician, HAZ-Mat technician, and in ice water operations rescue. He has been an ACE certified peer-fitness instructor for 5 years. Rich received an accommodation for a “life saver” for joint efforts with his partner which resulted in the survivor of their combined interventions being part of the ceremony. Rich has also been trained and worked multiple years on a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU). He is an ASHI Wilderness Medicine Instructor able to teach ACLS, PALS, CPR Pro, and advanced wilderness medicine courses.
Rich was involved in the Boy Scouts receiving the distinguished rank of Eagle Scout. He now is a scouting parent, giving back to his boys and others in his community. He has a love and passion for the outdoors as a hunter, backpacker, and family camping man. He and his loving wife of 15 years attend and participate in ministries in their local church. He has 4 children with whom he loves to spend his time.
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Instructor
Sarah “Tiger Mouse” Whaley
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Sarah has been involved in Public Safety since 2007, and Search and Rescue since 2018, with the formation of the Lapeer County (MI) Mounted Search and Rescue Team, where she is currently the Director. Her SAR credentials include: NASAR SARTECH I/Crew leader, Wilderness EMT, Mounted SARTECH III and Search Manager. She is also an instructor for NASAR FUNSAR, ADSAR, SAR Initial Actions, and Wilderness Emergency Care, as well as NASAR SAR Tech II, SARTECH I, and Mounted SARTECH III Lead Evaluator.
Additional training and certifications that she currently holds, or has held, include Professional Emergency Manager (PEM), Reserve Sheriff Deputy, EMT-Basic, HAZ MAT Awareness, Rescue and Extrication, Emergency Dispatch Academy, Emergency Medical Dispatch, Basic Inland SAR School, numerous ICS courses, and has held position task books as an Incident Commander, Liaison Officer, Logistics Specialist, and Grants Management Specialist.
In addition to the public safety industry, Sarah also has well over 25 years in the equine industry, which ultimately led to her role as a mounted SARTECH III Lead Evaluator. Her equine resume includes the following: Certified Horsemanship Association Level I Instructor (English and Western), MiLLEAD 4-H State Horse Council, The Eventing Association of Michigan Board Member, Wisdom Ranch Board of Directors, Lapeer County 4-H Leader, Medical team for the USEA Hunter’s Run Recognized event, and both riding and training horses in multiple disciplines, most recently in Eventing.
Educationally, Sarah holds both an Associate’s in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor’s in Public Administration. She spent 12 years working in the EMS field as an EMT and Field Training Officer. She has also spent time working for both FEMA and the Michigan State Police. Currently, she is a County Emergency Management Coordinator serving a population of over 88,800. In addition, she also serves as a liaison to the state All-Hazards Incident Management Team Advisory Board, a liaison to the Michigan Emergency Management Association Board for Michigan Region 3 and is serving an appointment to the FEMA Region 5 Regional Advisory Council as a local emergency management representative.
Sarah is married to Jerry, who shares her passion for SAR and anything out of doors. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys mountain biking and trail running, having completed multiple ultra-distance races, and also spending time with her horses and dogs.
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Instructor
James “Viper” Wimberly
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Jimmy’s one goal in life was to serve others and help as many people as he possibly could. He certainly did that, and then some. Unfortunately, Jimmy passed away on February 11, 2023, after a hard-fought battle with kidney failure. We thought we would share with you Jimmy’s BERTS instructor bio with you, just to show you some of the things he accomplished, fulfilling his legacy.
Jimmy had been involved with the search and rescue community since 2008 and had been a Search and Rescue and Wilderness Medical Instructor with BERTS since 2010. He was employed as the Safety Coordinator for C&K Industries in Cleveland, Ohio, where he dealt with and cleaned up Hazardous Materials incidents.
His certifications included NASAR Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Advance Search and Rescue, NASAR SAR Tech I and SARTEC II Evaluator, a Level 9 ASHI Wilderness Emergency Medical Instructor, Wilderness First Aid, AHA First Aid and CPR, Rope Rescue Operations, Swift Water Rescue Operations, Lost Person Behavior, Intermediate and Advance National Incident Command, HAZMAT Technician, Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy Training, Basic Inland Search and Rescue conducted by Air Force Coordination Center, and Risk Assessment. He also had extensive education training as an Emergency Medical Technician.
He was a Lieutenant of Unit 7 for the Ohio Special Response Team, a State of Ohio approved search and rescue organization that provides a broad-based response unit, equipped to respond to a variety of emergencies, natural or manmade disasters in support of civil authorities.
In addition to his search and rescue experience, he also had 15 years of security/law enforcement experience and was an active part of the Mental Health Community, promoting the mental health of public service workers. He was nominated for and was subsequently awarded the NAMI of Greater Cleveland Police Officer of the year.
He was an outdoor enthusiast, which contributed to his wilderness experience. He loved spending time purposefully wondering the wilderness looking for adventure, which he found around every tree, bush or shrub. He was an Alumni Member of the Boy Scouts of America and was involved in the organization as a parent.
Well done good and faithful servant! Jimmy, you have made us proud in every sense of the word! We will continue the good fight down here with a “POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE” as you bask in God’s glory up there. Rest in peace, Brother. We love you and will take it from here.