Crisis Management - Emergency Planning & Response Expert Witnesses: 13

Dr. Michael J. Fagel, PhD, CEM has over 30 years of broad based experience in a variety of fields relating to Crisis Management & Recovery, Consequence Management & Emergency Management. He provides specialized assistance in OSHA compliance assistance and training in Disaster Management, Emergency Response as well as Occupational Safety and Health. Aurora Safety has extensive experience in litigation guidance drawing from decades of experience in all phases of safety and emergency response and planning. They provide guidance to attorneys and insurance companies on a variety of topics and offer effective evaluations regarding the many facets of each case.

Dr. Fagel provides expert witness services to cases in across North America. He has served various Federal Agencies providing Occupational Safety Services at disaster sites. He also was EMS coordinator for the fire rescue division in North Aurora, as well as serving as an officer in the local fire service. Dr. Fagel currently teaches industrial safety and emergency medical services at several college locations and lectures at various professional trade conferences throughout the country. He offers Expert Witness Services and Litigation Support to attorneys representing both Plaintiff and Defense.

Areas of Expertise:

• Disaster / Crisis Management and Recovery
• COVID-19 / Coronavirus Recovery
• OSHA Compliance
• Voluntary Protection Programs (VPPs)
• Fire, EMS, Disaster Management
• Site Inspections
• Training Assessment Management and Development of Safety Programs
• Critical Incident / Crisis Management Site Inspections
• Safety Audits

View Consulting Profile.

Richard D. Morman, CPP, CSSP, PPS, CSC, is a career Public Safety veteran. He served with The Ohio State University Police Division for over 29 years, retiring as the Deputy Chief of Police, a position he held for 10 years. Mr. Morman has been involved in all facets of Law Enforcement, including management and supervision, having a total of twenty two years in supervision and management. In 2010, he was selected as The Ohio State University Department of Public Safety Employee of the Year. Mr. Morman holds four professional certifications, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation from ASIS International, Certified Sports Security Professional (CSSP) as designated by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4), Certified Personal Protection Specialist (PPS) as designated by the Executive Protection Institute, and Certified Security Consultant (CSC) as designated by the International Association of Professional Security Consultants.

Mr. Morman has vast Sports and Special Event Security planning and management experience, he is considered a subject matter expert in celebratory rioting, crowd management, sports and special event security planning and management, venue security planning and management and executive protection. In December 2011, he was invited by the US Department of Criminal Justice to present to a group of his peers in Best Practices for Large Venue Security. Mr. Morman has contributed to the Bureau of Justice Assistance publication: Practitioners’ Thoughts on Promising Practices for Securing College and University Spectator Events From Criminal Extremist Attacks and participated in developing the NCS4 Intercollegiate Athletics Safety and Security Best Practices Guide. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Morman provides expert witness services to attorneys for plaintiff and defendant which include written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. 

Security and Police Practices & Procedures Specialty Focus:

Premises Liability Security  Inadequate or Wrongful Security Wrongful Law Enforcement Act Higher Education Safety and Security Sports Event & Venue Security Special Event Security

Crowd Management Executive Protection Work Place Violence Higher Education Law Enforcement Threat Assessment Teams

View Richard D. Morman's Consulting Profile.

Prof. Makarand (Mark) Hastak, PhD, PE, CCP, CRIS, is the Professor and the Dernlan Family Head of Construction Engineering and Management as well as Professor of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. Dr. Hastak has been involved with the construction industry for the past 33 years providing his expertise through consulting, research, teaching, and service to the industry.  Dr. Hastak is a world renowned expert in the area of construction engineering and management including process improvement, disaster risk reduction, resilience and capacity building, infrastructure management, intelligent planning for the built environment, cost control, project management decision-making, risk management, and strategic planning.  Dr. Hastak is a Professional Engineer (PE), a Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS), and a Certified Cost Professional (CCP). He  has worked on numerous projects sponsored by the Construction Industry Institute (CII), NSF, State DOTs, and City Agencies.

Dr. Hastak  has authored over 200 publications on process improvement, project controls, capital rehabilitation planning, strategic planning, and decision-making. He has co-authored a widely used book on Infrastructure Planning, Engineering, and Economics (McGraw-Hill 2006 and 2015). Dr. Hastak served on the Education Board of the Association for Advancement of Cost Engineering (2004-2016). He was Editor for two AACE books, the Skills and Knowledge of Cost Engineering (6th Ed. 2015) and the CCP Certification Study Guide (2nd Ed. 2016). He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering (2009-2016). 

Dr. Hastak has given over 40 keynotes and invited lectures around the world. As a prominent educator and consultant, he also engages in developing training material and workshops as well as regularly teaching professional courses for the A/E/C industry. His services include consultation, on-site investigation, data collection, assessment, and reporting. He has completed the 30-Hour OSHA Hazard Recognition Training for the Construction Industry 

Dr. Hastak Lectures at the 2015 International Conference on Building Resilience

Litigation Support - Dr. Hastak offers expert witness services to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. He has served as an Expert Witness on six cases since 2017 and was deposed on two plus one evidence deposition. His services include case reviews, written reports, depositions, arbitrations, and trial testimony as needed. 

Areas of Expertise:

Construction Engineering Construction Management Cost Overruns Schedule Delays Construction Safety Modular Construction Patent Infringement

Factory Built Construction Infrastructure Planning Data Center Construction Project Risk Management Disaster Recovery / Disaster Mitigation Trade Secrets Misappropriation Contracts & Warranties

View Dr. Hastak's Consulting Profile.

Management and Homeland Security

Dr. Hargreaves is a Brazilian emergency physician, holding an MA in Security Management (Webster University) and an MS in Political Science with a focus in International Terrorism. His passion for the field of Crisis and Disaster Preparedness having been engaged for some years as Director of the Medical Department at the Brazilian House of Representatives as well as the Emergency Coordinator of the Special Operations Unit.

His previous experience extends to planning and managing emergency response operations, disaster preparedness and homeland security, including five presidential inaugurations, mass gathering, sporting and entertainment events involving many celebrities and some official visits by Heads of State and other authorities. 

In the Academic field, Dr. Hargreaves has lectured at different Universities and worked as a speaker in many conferences abroad. He also has many years of experience as a Professor and Academic Coordinator for several Graduate programs. He is the author of various books and articles in the field of disaster preparedness, crisis management, and Homeland Security. 

Core Competencies:

Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Crisis Management Event Safety & Security Homeland Security / CBRNE Multicultural Team Integration

Online Education Public Safety Organizational Security Political Science

Languages Spoken: Portuguese, English, Spanish, French (Basic) and Italian (Basic).

Areas of Expertise:

Crisis Management Public Safety Emergency Preparedness Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery Health Care and Hospital Management

Hospital Disaster Plan Security Event Emergency Planning for Mass Gathering Events Disaster Preparedness

David Wolowitz, JD is an Education Law Attorney with 40 years of extensive experience advising schools and youth serving organizatons on the current and past standard of care for protection of minors from harm by peers, educators, and trusted adults.

Law Practice: Mr. Wolowitz has advised schools nationwide and internationally on all aspects of risk prevention and crisis response, with a focus on child safeguarding by promoting healthy relationships through the management and oversight of a healthy school culture. He is a pioneer in applying behavioral risk management concepts, including training on healthy teacher – student boundaries and the establishment of standards of conduct. He also has advised many youth serving organizations, such as churches, camps, and other organizations that work with children and vulnerable populations.

Expert Witness: Mr. Wolowitz has been qualified as an expert witness for plaintiffs and defendants on the adequacy of policies, procedures, investigations, remediation, and training relating to the protection of minors in schools and youth serving organizations. He has also provided expert opinions on the adequacy of employment practices, including hiring, training, and supervision. These cases have involved claims against teachers, administrators, coaches, mental health professionals, and religious advisors.

Litigation Support: Mr. Wolowitz has significant civil and criminal trial experience in federal and state trial and appellate courts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He was an invited guest instructor of the Trial Advocacy Workshop at Harvard Law School for 29 years.

 

Areas of Expertise  

Schools Safety Standard of Care School Administration / Governance Educator / Peer Misconduct Hazing Harassment Bullying Sexual Assault

Molestation Grooming Athletics / Sports Misconduct Title IX School Supervision School Trips Camps

 

View David Wolowitz's Consulting Profile.

John M. White, CPP, CHPA is Board Certified in Security Management; Certified Protection Professional (CPP); Certified Healthcare Protection Administrator (CHPA); and a Published Author.

Mr. White has been a professional security practitioner, security consultant, and expert witness since 1999. He has over 40 years of experience in Corporate Security Management and Law Enforcement and Security consulting, including physical security, security operations, regulatory compliance, & security training. Prior to forming Protection Management, LLC, Mr. White served a distinguished career in law enforcement, corporate security, and the military.

As a security consultant, Mr. White has developed and/or assessed security programs involving multi-unit residential properties, hotels/motels, homeless shelters, tourism services, places of worship, retail stores, high rise office/residential buildings, food services, entertainment services, healthcare services, hospitals, long-term care facilities/assisted living, parking facilities, college campuses, lounges, and other commercial properties.

In 2013, Mr. White was approached by publisher Butterworth-Heinemann and asked to write a book on security risk assessments. That book, titled: Security Risk Assessment – Managing Physical and Operational Security was published in July 2014 and is available online through numerous bookstores.

Litigation Support - Mr. White has been retained by law firms representing plaintiffs and defendants in negligent security, premises liability, and use of force lawsuits in the field of security. His services include case consultation, document review and analysis, deposition, arbitration and mediation, and trial testimony when necessary.

Areas of Expertise:

Crime Prevention Emergency Preparedness Healthcare Security Premises Security Issues Security Risk Assessments Security Audits

Security Training Security Management Security Program Development Security Policies Use of Force Workplace Violence

View John White's Consulting Profile.

Mr. Nichols specializes in cases involving sexual abuse in schools, churches, camps, mentoring programs, sports organizations, and after-school programs.  From 1994 to 2016 he served as the Vice President over child safety and facilities for Boys & Girls Clubs of America (National Headquarters). In that role he shaped the organizational policies and practices that helped protect over 4 million youth at over 4,000 sites in the U.S. and abroad. In 2016, Mr. Nichols entered private practice in two areas:  as an expert witness in sex abuse-related cases involving organizations, and as a safety/security consultant for schools and other organizations.

Mr. Nichols has authored, co-authored, or contributed to over 40 publications addressing various aspects of protecting people from harm.  Most recently, he was a reviewer and contributor to the Maryland Guidelines and Best Practices for the Design, Assessment and Modification of Physical Facilities and Spaces to Reduce Opportunities for Child Sexual Abuse (2020) by the MD State Council on Child Abuse & Neglect, and co-author of a graduate-level textbook, Extreme Violence: Understanding & Protecting People from Active Assailants, Hate Crimes & Terrorist Attacks (2021) by Cognella Academic Publishing.

Mr. Nichols is a member and past president of the National Coalition for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, a board-certified security professional (CPP) through ASIS International and holds a Master of Science in Security Administration.

Mr. Nichols has been retained or served as a fact witness in over 30 cases, involving sexual abuse and other harm within organizations.  Examples include:

• A contract school bus driver molests a student on the bus 
• A school music instructor grooms and molests his teen student  
• A organization’s screening process misses obvious red flags 
• A college ministry fails to provide oversight to prevent an accidental death 
• A disabled child is molested by another child while being transported on a bus 
• A sports organization fails to audit its child protection program 
• A church volunteer systematically grooms and molests young boys
• Two teens rape a female, special needs student between classes 
• A child is injured on a roof during an afterschool program 
• An organization fails to provide effective sex abuse prevention resources to its affiliate
• A young boy is molested by other boys at a church retreat

View Les Nichols' Consulting Profile.

Alan J.  Robinson brings over 35 years of Security / Law Enforcement experience to the  security, safety, fire safety, emergency management field. Mr. Robinson is a former Supervisor, Protection Services for Disney-ABC, Inc. in New York, where he coordinated the security of millions of dollars in equipment for both Reagan Presidential Inaugurations. While at Disney-ABC, he was credited with creating the first hostage negotiation training class after an incident at ABC News in Washington, D.C.

Background Experience: For  the past 25 years, Mr. Robinson has been the Director of Protection and Security Services/Emergency  Management for Atlantic Health System; a hospital system based in New Jersey where he manages: Public Safety and Security, Fire/Life Safety, Emergency  Management, Investigations, and Special Events for a healthcare system that approximately 10 million square feet of physical plant and campus, spread  throughout New Jersey.

Mr. Robinson directly and indirectly manages over one-hundred (100) security  officers, investigators, fire safety officers, emergency management officers, and contract law  enforcement officers. He has successfully navigated numerous external agency regulatory compliance  surveys including those from the “Joint Commission,” State Department of Health, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security, and New Jersey Office of  Counter-Terrorism.

Litigation Support: Mr. Robinson has been retained to provide consultation, security analysis, and security expert witness testimony by plaintiff and  defendant in a wide variety of civil suits. He is available to consult and testify in matters concerning:

Premises Liability Inadequate Security Negligent Security

Crime Foreseeability Private Security Officer Training Security Industry Standards

Areas of Expertise

Workplace Violence Prevention and Investigation · Public Safety & Security · Emergency Management · Preventing Infant Abduction · Child Predator Protection · Narcotic Diversion Investigations · Multi-Facility Management · Asset Protection · Hospital Security · Continuous Process Improvement · Crisis Event Management

View Risk and Threat Analysis Management, LLC's Consulting Profile.

Timothy A. Dimoff, CPP, founder and president of SACS Consulting & Investigative Services, Inc. a leading security consulting firm, has over 40 years of experience in Law Enforcement and Security matters for both the public and private sectors. He is multi-certified in the security field and is considered one of the nation's leading authorities on negligent security procedures; security & vulnerability issues; police procedures and operations including use of force; high-risk workplace and human resource issues; narcotics investigations and enforcement.  Mr. Dimoff is board certified by ASIS as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP?) which is internationally recognized as the “gold standard” certification for security management professionals, demonstrating their knowledge and competency in seven key domains of security.

Litigation Support - Mr. Dimoff has over 20 years of experience in testifying and consulting as an expert witness in over 500 cases and trials for both the plaintiff and the defense sides. His expert witness experience includes law enforcement procedures, security negligence of business or physical premises, human resources issues, meeting standards of practice in hiring and termination, employment practices, proper documentation, training, supervision, policies and procedures, harassment, discrimination, internal investigations, threats and excessive use of force.

Mr. Dimoff is a renowned speaker, trainer, and author who has offered expert commentary to national media including Dateline, NBC, CNN, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The LA Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.  He is the author of four books, including How to Recognize Substance Abuse, The YOU in Business, and Life Rage, a chilling examination of societal rage and safeguards against it.

Mr. Dimoff holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminology from Denison University.

Areas of Expertise: 

Security Policies and Procedures Use of Force Human Resource Issues including Hiring and Firing Terminated Employee Risks, and Policies Police Procedures Physical Security  Assessments

Negligence Determinations for Businesses Houses of Worship, and Schools High Threat and Security Vulnerability Analysis Drugs and Substance Abuse Issues Lone Wolf , Active Shooters, and Hate Groups Law Enforcement Procedures and Operations

View Timoth A. Dimoff's Consulting Profile.

Scott L. Turner is a highly qualified Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Transportation Expert, FMCSR Regulatory and PHMSA-HMR Expert with approximately 30-years experience in the highly specialized field of CMV crashes and incidents, and 16 years as the CEO of a nationwide CMV crash & HazMat disaster response corporation. 

Mr. Turner's career includes personal response and/or investigation of over 1,000 CMV crashes, 200 cargo-tank truck crashes/incidents and a multitude of industrial setting incidents including fixed facilities, loading docks and loading rack disasters. His FMCSR and PHMSA knowledge (Federal Enforcement Training), detailed reporting and testimony can be a focal point of any civil litigation, where commercial motor vehicle crashes and/or transit incidents are at issue, with or without hazmat involvement. Mr. Turner is qualified in both the Federal Court system as well as multiple States throughout the United States and testifies on an approximate 50/50 average of Defense to Plaintiff ratio.

Areas of Expertise:

• Level 1 FMCSA Inspections
• Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Post-Crash Inspection
• CMV Post-Crash Investigation
• Driver Qualifications
• HOS / Fatigue Driving
• Motor Carrier Fitness Standards
• Safety Programs
• Trucking Industry Standards
• Cargo-Tank Truck Incidents / Crashes
• CMV loading/Off-loading Cases (van, cargo-tank, flatbed)
• Flatbed, Cargo Securement Failure
• Loading Dock Incidents w/ CMV
• Forklift Incidents w/ CMV
• CMV Crash Involving Hazmats
• Loading Rack Explosions / Disasters
• Pedestrian v. CMV Incidents

Services Include:

• Litigation Support
• Trial Preparation Consulting
• Courtroom Testimony
• Commerical Vehicle Accident Investigations
• CMV, Highway Construction Zone Crashes
• CMV Loading and Offloading Investigation
• Level 1 FMCSA Audits
• Load Securement Incidents

Stephen M. Raffle, M.D. is double Board-Certified in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. Dr. Raffle has over 49 years as a clinical and forensic psychiatrist offering his expert opinion in Federal and State jurisdictions nationwide. In addition to serving as an expert witness, Dr. Raffle consults to attorneys, judges, insurers, and to employers regarding Fitness for Duty and Risk of Violence (Threat) Assessment:

• 5000+ psychiatric assessments
• Expert testimony in 700 depositions and trials
• Successful clinical practice

The job of an expert witness is to educate a jury, judge, attorney, and trier of fact about the forensic psychiatrist's conclusions and how those opinions were derived in a manner well-reasoned, skillful, and easily understood by every person, not only another forensic psychiatrist. In short, an educator. Dr. Raffle’s experience as an educator extends well beyond a forensic venue, yet underpins the key to his ability to explain his opinions.

• Prof. of Psychiatry, UCSF Medical School, 20 years
• U.C. Hastings College of the Law postgraduate course "Trial and Appellate Advocacy" instructing seasoned attorneys about the direct and cross-examination of expert witnesses, with special focus on mental health experts and licensed medical professionals, Psychiatrists (MDs), Psychologists (LCSWs / MFTs), and physicians in other medical specialties, 11 years

Stephen M. Raffle, M.D. & Associates' expertise is well-established in forensic assessment in the areas of:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Dementia and Competency
• Testamentary Capacity
• Undue Influence
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Malingering
• Emotional Distress: Intentional & Unintentional infliction
• Emotional Distress: Forensic Evaluation to render medical-legal opinion
• Diagnosis and Need for Treatment
• Fitness For Duty
• Risk/Threat Workplace Violence Assessment
• Wrongful Termination
• Discrimination (ADA, Title VII, EEOC)
• Harassment
• Employment Litigation
• Medical Malpractice
• Catastrophic Injury
• Temporary and Permanent Disability
• Medical Records Review
• Assist in Preparation for Direct and Cross-examination of Expert Witnesses and Deposition of expert witnesses

Licensed in California.

Dr. Roy G. Taylor is a current Chief of Police with over 40 years of experience in a wide-range of federal, state, local, and private criminal justice positions. Mr. Taylor specializes as an expert witness in Police Practices and Procedures and Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Current Positions:

• Chief of Police Blue Ridge Public Safety (2014)
• President/CEO Signal 88 Security of Charlotte (2012)
• President/CEO Capitol Special Patrol (2012)
• Chief of Police Capitol Special Police (2002)
• Lt. Colonel – Provost Marshal, Army National Guard (2000)
• Antiterrorism / Emergency Management Branch Chief DoD (2007)
• Provost Marshal Joint Civil Support Task Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff (2014)

Litigation Support - Dr. Taylor is called upon to analyze cases from both defense and plaintiff perspectives. His services include case review, written reports, deposition, and trial testimony as needed. Areas of Expertise:

Police Standards & Practices Use of Force & Deadly Force Electronic Control Devices Standards of Conduct High Speed Vehicle Pursuits & Chases Law Enforcement Policies and Procedures

Failure to Train Law Enforcement Malpractice Failure to Supervise Violations of §1983 Civil Rights Personnel Selection & Retention Police K-9

View Roy Taylor's Consulting Profile.

Expertise: Internationally recognized expert on the benefits of Crisis Management etc. Currently engaged by 7th largest organisation in the USA. Author of the new UK Government guide Preventing Chaos in a Crisis. Primary author of present UK Police command methodology Gold, Silver & Bronze. Senior Scotland Yard background, including setting up the multi agency operational management structure at the London Kings Cross major subway fire, secondment to the Anti Terrorist Branch. University lecturer. Highly entertaining / humorous global facilitator & presenter. Key motivator able to stimulate and focus wide audiences. Outstanding authoritative & skilled public speaker. Occasional TV appearances. Much quoted elsewhere. Member of the Guild of Freeman of the City of London.

Seminars & Speaking Topics:

• Crisis Management: Preventing Chaos in a Crisis.
• Avoiding Catastrophe: Human Behavior – Good or Bad.
• The People Factor: Factoring in How People Will React.
• Business Continuity (BC): No Longer a "Grudge Purchase" - More Profit!
• Understanding Risk: Knitting with Fog, or Drawing the Strands Together?
• Best Practice from the UK Govt: Why the UK & Europe Have Changed Focus.
• Don’t Make a Drama out of a Crisis: The Benefits of Effective Incident Management.
• Regulations 600 Years Old: Why Be a Freeman of the City of London?
• New Scotland Yard: A Behind the Curtain Look at Current Issues.

Company Background: Visor Consultants specializes in helping domestic and global organizations get the very best from their staff in times of possible disaster. We quantify your various risks and hazards; advise you on which pose the greatest threats; assist you to eliminate or contain them; and help develop your Crisis Management skills. We can then guide you in Risk Mitigation, in resolving any security issues, and in designing Crisis & Business Continuity Management strategies.

See Visor website for more information.