Eric J. Rickenbach, Owner
REHRERSBURG, PA
Eric J. Rickenbach (“EJR”) is a 40+ year veteran of the public safety emergency services. A Berks County PA native, he resides in rural northwestern Berks County, Pennsylvania. A few years after starting in the emergency services, he began to assist other instructors with rescue training programs. Since then, Eric has conducted thousands of hours of training and has had the opportunity to lecture and teach in both national and international venues.
He is a primary/voting member on two NFPA Technical Committees and a member of the PA State Fire Commissioner’s Fire Service Certification Advisory Committee. Eric is considered a subject matter expert for several programs.
In his free time, he likes sitting on the porch and watching the world go by.
Travis Martin
BERNVILLE, PA
With 23 years of service as a firefighter / paramedic with a combination of urban and rural experience, Travis also holds an associate’s degree in Fire Science from Columbia Southern University.
He is also a PSFA Suppression Instructor, PA DOH EMS Instructor, a Career FF/Paramedic for the City of Reading, Department Fire and Rescue Services, and an instructor for the Reading Fire Academy.
Richard Garber
LANCASTER, PA
Richard Garber is a seasoned paramedic and 24-year veteran of the fire service who resides in Lancaster, PA with his wife and 2 children. He is currently assigned as the Captain of Special Operations for Anne Arundel County (Maryland) Fire Department, where he also serves as a Safety/EMS Officer.
He is an active member of the NFPA Powered Rescue Tool Committee and the NFPA Special Operations Committee. Richard is a Pennsylvania and Maryland state-certified instructor with a passion for specialized rescue, who also teaches factory classes for one of the largest lifting bag manufacturers in the country. Richard is passionate about teaching and training others in all aspects of technical rescue.
Tyler Smith
HARRISBURG, PA
With 15 years of experience, Tyler has been an active firefighter at West Hanover Volunteer Fire company since the age of 16.
Many of the rigging techniques he uses, he learned while being a heavy equipment technician. Travis currently works as a Product Manager for a major construction equipment manufacturer. Previous to that, he was the National equipment operator trainer for the same company for 6 years. Prior to that he was a heavy equipment field technician for 7 years.
When he is not traveling for work his hobbies are pheasant hunting with his dog, going camping, and spending weekends at “the lake”.
Stefan Kuenzli
NEW HOLLAND, PA
With 23 years of service, Stefan joined Liberty Fire Co. (now Garden Spot Fire Rescue) in June of 2000 at age 14. He has served in many operational and administrative positions over the years including President, Vice President, Lieutenant, Captain, Asst. Chief and currently as the Deputy Chief, overseeing the department’s training.
He started a career with Manheim Township Fire Rescue in June of 2019, where he is currently assigned to the C shift as the front-end driver of Truck 204. The TDA functions dual role as a Ladder company & Rescue Company.
Aside from the Ag Rescue series, certifications include FF 2, Fire Instructor 2, Fire Officer 1, Fire Inspector 1, Haz Mat, 1006 & Confined Space, as well as PA EMT-B & PA DOH SVRT.
He enjoys the opportunity to pass along his experiences and knowledge but always get to learn something new during each class he has the chance to help with.
When he has the chance for downtime from everything fire service, he enjoys spending time with family & friends, attending concerts, beach trips, boating, jet skiing, or fun family activities with his beautiful wife and their 3 kids.
Will Glover
CAMDEN, SC
With 22 years of service, Will currently serves as the Fire Chief of Kershaw County Fire Service in South Carolina. He began his time in emergency services in 2001 as a junior with Camden Fire Department in SC. Joining Kershaw County as a volunteer in 2005, he eventually became the Fire Chief. During this time, in 2008 he started as a career firefighter at Sumter Fire Department, including several years in the training division.
He serves as an adjunct instructor with South Carolina Fire Academy, where he has sat as a subject matter expert on several committees including rescue and investigation curriculum.
Will has a wife and 2 children with a 3rd on the way. They have a small farm where they enjoy spending time outdoors with family and friends.
Austin Jelliff
RIDGEBURY, PA
With 12 years of service, Austin is a 4th generation volunteer with Ridgebury Volunteer Fire Company. He is a Haz Mat Tech, Health and Safety Officer, and Firefighter II for Penn Fire. He has a Bachelors of Science in Bio-Renewable Systems with an Agricultural Systems Management focus from The Pennsylvania State University.
Austin has a deep passion for agriculture and Public Safety stemming from his upbringing on a farm and in a family of volunteers. He enjoys working on the farm and spending time outdoors doing anything from hunting to hiking.
His full-time career is as an Agriculture Relationship Manager for Farm Credit.
Matthew Grant
STEVENS, PA
With 19 years of service, Matthew has a Bachelor’s degree in secondary education to be a shop teacher. He started out as a volunteer fireman for Millersville Fre Co in college. They ran the county rescue task force, which he became involved with. Upon moving back home, he volunteered and was a chief officer at two local companies. He was hired by City of Reading FD, and now drive ladder 1 on the A. He teaches in the academy at work, and have been a state fire instructor since 2010 and an EMT instructor.
In addition to teaching for RescueTechs, he leads essentials programs and other fire courses. Outside of work, he is a farmer. They grow hay and straw and raise pasture-based poultry and eggs that his wife and he sell to customers and stores. He enjoys doing his own equipment mechanic work. He has completely rebuilt and restored two JD new generation tractors 2520 and 4020 and a new Holland 311 baler. He is also a pastor at the United Christian Church in Newmanstown. He likes going camping in their camper and at his camp meeting cottage in Cleona, PA
Chad Jespersen
WARREN, PA
With 24 years in the fire service and 20 years as an Ag Rescue Instructor, Chad holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He is also a licensed PE in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and Indiana
He has been a Fire officer for 18+ years, is currently an Assistant Chief, and an EMT. Both Chad’s father (beef) and mother (dairy) were raised on farms, and he has been involved with agriculture his whole life.
Ron Radel
SPRING GLEN, PA
With 38 years of service, Ron is the Fire Chief of the Sacramento Community Fire Company. He is also a Local Level instructor with the PA State Fire Academy and Bucks County Community College.
He holds a BS/Ed from Bloomsburg State College and is a retired History and Economics teacher from Tri-Valley High School. He currently runs a small farm to table beef operation.
Randy Acker
MARTINSBURG, PA
With 50 years of service, Randy joined the Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company while in high school and worked his way up through the ranks to Fire Chief. He has been the Fire Chief at Martinsburg for 34 years. They are located in a rural farming community and have been dealing with all kinds of farm related accidents and fire. His accomplishments are being involved with the fire department for 50 years.
When he was in high school, he started working at a farm machinery dealership, started in the repair shop setting up and repairing farm equipment. From there he moved to parts manager for several years then moved to be the service manager for several more years. Then he bought into the dealership when they were mainly a Bobcat dealership. After being co-owner in the dealership as the service manager and parts manager for 25 years working on some farm equipment but mostly Bobcat Skid Loaders, he recently retired from the business.
He enjoys helping teaching farm rescue, grain bin rescue and silo classes. His hobbies are hunting and appliance repair.
Duane Leinbach
NARVON, PA
With 33 years of service, Duane has ran with the Bowmansville Fire Company, and has served for 22 of those years as an officer and he is currently the Deputy Chief.
Duane was raised on a pork/beef farm and also performed agricultural wiring for 27 years.
He loves to hunt and fish and he also enjoys checking out other agricultural communities
Tyler Balas
WEST FRIENDSHIP, MD
With 13 years of service, Tyler began as a volunteer in Delaware starting in 2010. Hired by the AACoFD in 2015, he is currently assigned to the special operations station. He has taught 2 career fire academy classes for AACoFD.
He and his wife own/operate a 60-acre equestrian facility. He grew up working on farms and around farm equipment.
Matt Johnston
FREEDOM, PA
With 22 years of fire service and 17 years of AG Rescue, Matt is currently the Assistant Fire Chief of Big Knob Fire Department, and holds an EMT-B PA DOH certification.
He is the co-founder of the Beaver County Agricultural Emergency Response Team.
Bill Malchow
LAUREL, DE
With 17 years of volunteer fire service, Bill is a firefighter, previous EMT, was a chief engineer for 4 years, and is certified in Vehicle & Machinery Rescue Tech and Rope Rescue Tech.
He is a farmer by trade. He works full time for a farm plus owns his own farm and works on family farm.
Jeff Moyer
SHARTLESVILLE, PA
With 22 years of service, Jeff is a member of Bernville Community Fire Company holding certifications for Driver/ Operator, Training Officer, and is a former Captain. He also holds certifications in FF-II, FSI-II, V&M-II, FO-I, ISO, PA DOH EMT-B, VRT, and SVRT.
He has taken part in Weber Hydraulik RESCUE DAYS 2010, M Vs.M, Penn State University Intro, Tractor and Machinery Rescue and is also a PSU Instructor. He has received Firefighter & Fire Officer of the year awards for Bernville Fire and the Red Cross HEROES award 2022 for life safety.
He works full time as a Journeyman Machinist and also part time business machining, welding and fabrication. His hobbies are hunting, camping and dirt track racing and is the shock technician on a super late model team.
David Faust
HALIFAX, PA
With 28 years of service, David has been with the Fisherville Volunteer Fire Co. having served as chief and assistant chief as well as executive offices.
He was born and raised on dairy farm and continues to farm in addition to his full-time job with Dauphin County as a 911 dispatch center supervisor.
Darryl Bergstrom
LANDER, PA
With 32 years of service, Darryl is a CPR Instructor, and a past EMT Instructor and Fire Chief.
He has a small farm, and enjoys hunting, fishing, and spoiling his grandkids.
Greg Pijar
PINE GROVE, PA
With 35 years of volunteer fire service, Greg has been Chief for 25 years in a progressive rescue oriented department. He holds certifications in FF I & II, Rescue Technician Level II and Type 3 Incident Commander for all Hazards.
He also holds a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Elizabethtown College with 11 years in law enforcement. Greg has also been an EMT for 35 years. He currently manages a Type 3 Incident Management Team, responding to large scale disasters.
Patrick Deegan
BETHLEHEM, PA
Patrick holds over 45 years of experience in emergency response including industrial and community. Patrick joined the SE-WY-CO Fire Company, (Lower Saucon Fire Rescue) at the age of 14 and held positions from Firefighter, Rescue Captain and Ass’t Chief having certifications of Pro-board, NFPA 1006 FF1, FF2, Confined Space, Rope, Trench, Vehicle Rescue Technician and Hazardous Materials Technician, as well as a certified Pa Department of Health EMT.
While in the fire department he wanted to teach everyone the things he was learning in classes so became a Pa State fire academy instructor and joined the Lehigh County Special Operations as a Haz Mat and Rescue Technician.
Patrick is now retired after 39 years of service from Miller Knoll Inc, East Greenville, Pa. where he held positions of Emergency Response Team Chief, Deputy Chief and Training Officer responsible for Emergency Response Team including fire brigade, HAZMAT response, Confined Space Rescue teams, Evacuation, and Medical Teams. He also kept the teams updated of OSHA Standards.
Co – Founder of Advanced Safety & Fire, Inc. Bethlehem, PA. position as safety and fire protection specialist. Responsible for OSHA audits of industrial facilities, conducted OSHA related training, air sampling, respiratory protection & fit testing, developed written programs for OSHA compliance.
Matthew Brett
LENHARTSVILLE, PA
Matt Brett is working on his 35th year in emergency services. He started his journey with a volunteer fire company in 1987 and remains with that department today. He has served as the fire chief for the past 15 years.
His employment started on a dairy farm and he worked there throughout his teenage years.
Before moving on to higher education he was employed by a feed and grain mill and worked there full-time and part-time for five years. He earned an associate’s degree from Penn State and then went to school to become a Journeyman Carpenter. He worked in various construction trades before opening his own remodeling and restoration construction company. He ran his company for 15 years.
Matt went back to school and obtained his Paramedic certification in 2007 and was immediately hired by the City of Allentown. Matt moved up to Assistant Chief of the City of Allentown Paramedics in 2012 and has remained in the position to date.
Over the past 15 years, there has been heavy involvement in the USAR environment. He
belongs to the Lehigh County Special Operations team and is a FEMA Medical Specialist for PA CO3. He has become technician-level certified in all aspects of technical rescue including Confined space, Trench, Rope, Structural Collapse, Vehicle and Machinery, Technical Search, and Water.
Outside of technical and agriculture rescue, he has a passion for Wilderness Medicine and instructs in many areas throughout Pennsylvania. He sits on the state steering committee for developing advanced protocols for tactical, special operations, and wilderness medicine. Matt is also an adjunct instructor at a local community college for PHRNs and Paramedics.
And, now the really important team members...
Allison Reinert
FLEETWOOD, PA
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Allison, through her business, A FAVORITE PEN, provides administrative support to the team. Everything from website, instructor paperwork, correspondence with agencies, to just keeping things moving forward in general.
Allie has good knowledge of the public safety training arena and is herself an NREMT.
When you have a chance, check out her business website at A Favorite Pen.
Diane Garber
MANHEIM, PA
TRAVEL LOGISTICS SUPPORT
Keeping a large team organized when on the road can be a challenge, but Diane keeps everyone going in the correct direction. She handles many of the travel arrangements (flights, etc.) and coordination for larger events.
When not helping us, she works in municipal emergency management.
Ashleigh Brown
NEW PROVIDENCE, PA
PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEO SUPPORT
Ashleigh is a well-established photographer specializing in equine events. She is the owner of AE Photography. When she has the opportunity, she travels with the RescueTechs team and captures many of the photos that we use in our programs.
Ashleigh is responsible for the design of the RescueTechs logo that we use.
Check out her website at AE Photography (aephotographyzenfolio.com).