WOSAR White Oak Search & Rescue Team Staff Members

Paul Falavolito - WOSAR Team Commander - As a teenager in 1984, Paul started his career in emergency services by joining The Civil Air Patrol. Attending as many SAR related schools and classes as he could, Paul eventually went on to become Squadron 602 SAR Team Commander and also completed the Hawk Mountain Staff School for winter/summer survival and SAR training.

Paul is also a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and has worked and taught Scuba Diving all over the world. Paul holds a commercial Diving Certification in underwater welding, nuclear and contaminated Diving as well as Bell/Saturation Diving. He is a certified Public Safety Diving instructor through PSDA (Public Safety Diving Association) and currently holds Scuba Instructor certifications through PADI, PSDA, IANTD and CMAS.

In 1997 Paul became employed at White Oak EMS (outside of Pittsburgh, Pa) as a Paramedic and on September 11, 2001 worked at the United Flight 93 crash site in Somerset County. In 2005, Paul laid the ground work to create the WOSAR Team after the Hurricane Katrina disaster. In 2006 Paul created the WOSAR Dive Team for water rescue and recovery and in 2009 added a K9 division to the search & rescue team.

Paul has been an active public speaker at the annual NASAR Conference in 2009 & 2010 teaching in the General SAR Track as well as the Water Rescue Track. Paul is currently a board member for the Pennsylvania Search & Rescue Council.

SAR certifications through CCAC, The Allegheny County Fire Academy, Texas A&M, Civil Air Patrol, FEMA, NASAR and DCNR.

Paul is a 2009 graduate of the US Air Force, US Coast Guard National Search and Rescue School.

Mark Jones, Assistant SAR Team Commander

Mark Jones - Assistant SAR Team Commander - Mark has been a state-certified paramedic since 1982 with local volunteer ambulance and rescue organizations.

He was a Clinical Associate and Instructor for Advances Cardiac Life Support and Basic Trauma Life Support for the Center for Emergency Medicine for Western Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh and was an instructor for paramedic courses at several local hospitals. He held offices in the local volunteer ambulance and rescue organization from 1981 to 1995 and was Chief of the service from 1985 through 1989. He holds state certificates in Hazardous Materials, Vehicle and Special Vehicle Rescue and Fundamentals of Fire Fighting.

He was appointed by Governor Casey to the position of Emergency Management Coordinator for the Borough of White Oak in 1992. He holds several Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) certificates and several Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) certificates in emergency management.

In 1999, he was appointed to the board of directors for the local ambulance organization and now holds the position of Vice Chairman. He also performs public speaking engagements for local community organizations on Emergency Management, EMS, and Fire issues.

Mark is a 2009 graduate of the US Airforce, US Coast Guard National Search and Rescue School.

Bill Harper joined WOSAR in July 2007 and since then has become a SARTECH III and Field Team Leader in addition to being certified in Swiftwater Operations and holds ICS-400 certification as well.

In February 2009 he received his certification as an Emergency Medical Technician. He also graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration of Justice and Legal Studies. He will receive a Master's Degree in Homeland Security from California University of Pennsylvania in Homeland Security in October 2010.

He currently serves as Operations Officer of WOSAR and is an EMT for White Oak EMS.

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