Retired after a successful 21-year career with the U.S. Coast Guard, Karl brings a myriad of critical training skillsets in Emergency Environmental Response and Incident Command Systems to EMSI’s cadre of instructors.
Indicative of his experience, Karl is well versed in oil spill response, on land and sea, through countless incidents that occurred throughout the Pacific region during his time on the Coast Guard’s prestigious National Strike Team for over nine years. During this period, he served as the Operations Officer, Response Officer, and a Response Supervisor on National Response Force Pacific Strike Team. In addition, Karl served on National Strike Force’s Ready For Operations evaluation team conducting assessments of the various Strike Team’s response capabilities.
In his role as a Response Officer and Supervisor on over 30 high profile federal responses, he directed multi-million dollar emergency response actions, including hurricane responses, major ship groundings, and pollution clean-ups. Karl gained invaluable knowledge and experience in a wide range of local, regional, and national level incidents and special events, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers; Hurricane Maria and Tropical Storm Allison; and the Alaska Airline Flight 261 disaster. Of particular note, Karl served as a Deputy Operations Section Chief during the 2007 Cosco Busanoil spill in northern California where 53,569 US gallons of bunker fuel spilled into San Francisco Bay after the container ship allided with the Delta Tower of the Bay Bridge in thick fog.
During his service, he also trained personnel in pollution response nationwide on the Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System (VOSS) and Spilled Oil Response Systems (SORS). As an ICS instructor and “All Hazards Responder” for the U.S. Coast Guard, Karl was critical to the development, deployment, and evaluation of National Strike Force’s Pacific Strike Team and its supported units, to include serving as a coach and evaluator on multiple National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (NPREP) evaluations in major metropolises, such as San Diego and Honolulu. During the 2009 NPREP in Guam, he worked with DLA personnel to deploy DOD assets during the equipment deployment portion of the exercise, to include deployment of a VOSS. In addition, Karl has completed extensive training in hazardous materials incident response and oversaw responses to numerous oil and hazardous materials incidents throughout his career.
Currently working as an Operational Ranger for Texas Park and Wildlife, Karl works in maintenance department on park equipment, projects, and guest services. In addition, he serves as the Park Site Safety Officer, responsible for all-hands safety training, emergency exercises, SOP development, and facilities inspections.
Karl holds a Bachelor’s Degree in General Management from Trident University and is a certified Type 3 Incident Commander, Type 2 Operations Section Chief, and Type 3 Liaison Officer. In addition, he holds qualifications as a HAZMAT Specialist, HAZWOPER Trainer, and HAZMAT Technician (Levels A, B, C, & D).