Crisis Management - Emergency Planning & Response Expert Witnesses: 12

David Wolowitz, JD is an Education Law Attorney with over 45 years of extensive experience advising schools and youth-serving organizations on the standard of care for the protection of minors from harm by educators and other trusted adults.

Expert Witness: Mr. Wolowitz serves as an expert witness nationally for plaintiffs and defendants on the current and historical standard of care for child safeguarding in schools and youth-serving organizations. He has been qualified as an expert on the adequacy of policies, procedures, investigations, and remediation, relating to the protection of minors. 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. Issues in these matters often involve whether the employer should have recognized red flags indicating misconduct so that the harm could have been prevented. 

Mr. Wolowitz has followed social science research and other literature about preventing and responding to child sexual abuse since the 1970s. He is able to testify about the evolution of the standard of care for child protection measures from the 1970s to the present. 

Litigation Support: Mr. Wolowitz is also able to serve as a consulting expert. 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 Sexual Assault

Molestation Grooming Athletics / Sports Misconduct Title IX School Supervision

 

View David Wolowitz'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

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. Dr. 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.

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.

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.

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.

R. Leslie Nichols, CPP, specializes in cases involving Sexual Abuse in schools, churches, camps, mentoring programs, sports organizations, and after-school programs.  He is the former National Vice President over child safety for Boys & Girls Clubs of America (National Headquarters) and oversaw the development of organizational policies and practices to protect 4 million youth at 4,000 sites in the U.S. and abroad. In 2016, Mr. Nichols began private practice as an expert witness and as direct consultant to schools and other youth-serving organizations.

Mr. Nichols has authored, co-authored, or contributed to numerous publications addressing various aspects of protecting children and has been interviewed, quoted and cited in various print and broadcast media.  He was a 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, SCANN) and the Recommened Guidelines and Best Practices: Background Screening in Youth-Serving Organizations, 3rd Ed. (2021, NCYS). He co-authored the textbook, Extreme Violence: Understanding & Protecting People from Active Assailants, Hate Crimes & Terrorist Attacks (2021, Cognella Academic).

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) with ASIS International and holdds 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 boy
• 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.

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.

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 35 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 risk management, profitability of Construction companies, process improvement, disaster risk reduction, resilience and capacity building, infrastructure management, intelligent planning for the built environment, project control, project management decision-making, and strategic planning. As a Fellow of the American Council on Education (cohort of 2013-14) at Cornell University his work focused on the various facets of Hybrid RCM budget, engaged institution, and Public-Private Partnership in academia.

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. He is the current President of CIB (International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction) and the Chair of the Advisory Board of teh Global Leadership Forum for Construction Engineering and Management programs (GLF-CEM). He also serves as an Academic Advisor to the Downstream and Chemicals Committee of the Construction Industry Institute (CII).

Dr. Hastak  has authored over 200 publications in his areas of expertise. 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 50 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 twenty-six (26) cases since 2017 and was deposed on eight plus two evidence depositions. His services include case reviews, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. 

Areas of Expertise:

Construction Engineering Construction Management Cost Overruns Schedule Delays Construction Safety/OSHA 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.

Fortis Legal Consultants is an independent consulting firm specializing in Disasters, Crisis and Incident Management, and Risk Mitigation. Their team provides comprehensive solutions to attorneys and a wide range of organizations, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private businesses.

Joe White, JD, Managing Director, has over 18 years of experience directing, collaborating, facilitating, and training personnel throughout the U.S., Europe, Africa, and South America. He graduated from law school in 2019 while working full-time in the Oil and Gas Industry. Joe’s legal knowledge and experience in crisis and emergency management allowed him to develop a comprehensive understanding of the legal landscape surrounding disasters and business resilience.

Litigation Support - Joe provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense including claim evaluation, formal reports, and expert testimony during the entire litigation process. He has a mastery of knowledge on safety-based regulations, programs, and standards. Successfully developed programs, policies, and plans that coordinate and complement both NIMS ICS and the ISO-22320 standard. His expertise in these areas makes him uniquely qualified and an ideal partner for businesses looking to navigate complex legal issues with ease.

Areas of Expertise:

Crisis Management Emergency Management Crisis / Emergency Response Incident Management Incident Response Incident Command System (ICS) Operations Risk Management

Business Continuity Business Resilience Humanitarian Events Mass Evacuation Medical Evacuation Kidnap for Ransom and Extortion Crisis Management Negligence

Career Highlights:

• Served as Incident Commander and other leadership roles on multiple Tier 3 Incident Management Teams.
• Managed global emergency response training and exercises, averaging 10 Incident Management Team drills annually, and leading the 2017 MEXUS exercise.
• Developed capabilities assessment, gap analysis, and improvement and implementation plan for Emergency Preparedness and Response and Oil Spill Response
• Developed assessment of capabilities and risks for offshore oil spills impacting trans-national boundaries in Caribbean Sea.

View Fortis Legal Consultant's Consulting Profile.

Peter Jaramillo, CIH, is a Certified Industrial Hygienist with nearly 40 years of experience in Occupational Health & Safety and Public Health. As Principal at Delta Bay Consultants, he has helped hundreds of satisfied clients improve workplace and site safety conditions, meet and exceed regulatory criteria such as OSHA, Cal/OSHA, EPA, NIOSH, and ACGIH, and successfully litigate occupational injury and illness claims.

Litigation Support - Mr. Jaramillo is a  subject matter expert on legal claims related to Occupational Health & Safety. He has provided expert witness services for numerous cases involving exposures to Coccidioides immitis (the "Valley fever" pathogen) in the California Central Valley. He has also supported various cases involving exposures to both Chemical Hazards such as welding fumes, diesel exhaust, and bunker fuel, and Biological Hazards such as histoplasma (a fungus in material contaminated with bird droppings) and Valley fever.

Services include legal research, supporting data collection, including contaminant sampling; document review (industrial hygiene and technical reports, medical records, lab results, chemical data); third-party reviews of previous investigations; and report writing.

Areas of Expertise:

Industrial Hygiene Health & Safety Occupational Health Indoor Air Quality Air & Noise Biological Hazards Chemical Hazards Construction Safety

Valley Fever COVID-19 Environmental Laboratory Safety Emergency Preparedness OSHA Workers Compensation Ergonomics

In addition to his own industrial hygiene firm, Peter has served as a corporate CIH for the Oakland office of Intertek/PSI for many years. In 2010, Peter supervised ship decommissioning efforts for the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup in Pascagoula, MS. He provided decontamination oversight, trained workers, reviewed confined space entry data, and provided recommendations for safety procedures. As the on-site CIH for Merck's San Francisco campus in 2009–2010, Peter directed the animal allergens program, conducted risk assessments, managed the industrial hygiene database, and made regulatory compliance recommendations.

View Delta Bay's Business Consulting Profile.

911 Consulting specializes in Emergency Preparedness, Training, Drills and Exercises for corporations, campuses and medical facilities. 911 Consulting gives you practical solutions for preventing likely incidents, preparing for emergencies, responding to a crisis and resuming operations. We create a custom emergency plan, train your personnel, and stage drills to make sure you're ready. 

Bo Mitchell was Police Commissioner of Wilton, CT for 16 years. He retired in February 2001 to found 911 Consulting which creates emergency, disaster recovery, business continuity, crisis communications and pandemic plans, plus training and exercises for organizations like GE HQ, Hyatt HQ, MasterCard HQ, four colleges and universities plus 25 secondary schools. He serves clients headquartered from Boston to LA working in their facilities from London to San Francisco. 

Bo has earned 22 certifications in Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity, Safety and Security. He also serves as an expert in landmark court cases nationally. Bo is a Certified Emergency Manager, a Certified Business Continuity Professional and Certified in Homeland Security. Professional Designations: CEM, CPP, CHS-V, CBCP, CSI-ML, HSEEP, CNTA, IAC, MOAB, CHSP, CHEP, CSHM, CESCO, CHCM, CFC, CSSM, CSC, CAS, TFCT3, CERT, CHSEMR, CMC