Capt. Jonathan E. Kjaerulff, President, Fremont Maritime Services, Inc.

Capt. Kjaerulff holds a U.S. Coast Guard-issued license as Master of inspected vessels to1600 tons, and Chief Mate of inspected vessels of any tons. He is a 1983 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y., and has sailed as captain and licensed ship's officer on a variety of civilian and naval vessels operating in numerous trades all over the world. His last two years of active sailing were spent as captain of the 155' salmon and herring processor Aleutian Dragon, operating in waters throughout Alaska.

In 1989 Jon founded Fremont Maritime Services to provide safety and survival training to mariners sailing in Alaska and along the Pacific Coast. His first fishing vessel safety program, the Survival Afloat Seminar was specifically designed to provide training to crews of fishing vessels under 100 feet. This program delivers packaged training programs directly to the vessel and crew, and utilizes actual equipment and training aids to make the training more realistic and memorable. In September of 1992, the Survival Afloat Seminar became the first program approved by the Coast Guard as meeting the fishing vessel drill conductor training requirements of 46 CFR §28.270 (a) and (c).

Jon is the author of all course handbooks used in FMS training programs, as well as five industrial safety workbooks and videos recently produced for the American Factory Trawler Association Industrial Safety Program. He has helped produce and was the narrator/consultant on a fishing vessel man overboard recovery video produced in 1992 for Port Supply Co. of Watsonville, CA.

Jon was a member of the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium's Curriculum Advisory Committee, which helped design a national standard Personal Safety and Emergency Drills course for the U.S. Coast Guard. Jon is also a consultant to other organizations involved with emergency drill and safety training, including the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, Seattle Central Community College Maritime Training Center, Washington Sea Grant, Oregon Sea Grant, and Clatsop Community College. He has published articles on safety training in Marine Digest and Workboat Magazines, and presented a paper on marine fire training at the 1995 SASMEX conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

Jon and his wife Maria share their home in Gig Harbor, Washington with three dogs, four cats, two horses, a goat, a box turtle, and two tanks of fish.

Lannie "Walt" Walters, ABCS, USN (ret.), Operations Manager and Senior Instructor

Mr. Walters is a retired Navy Aviation Boatswain’s Mate who has a great deal of experience in Marine fire fighting and fire training. Assigned to a number of aircraft carriers and aviation ships, Walt was responsible for all aspects of flight deck safety and fire preparedness. As Leading Chief Petty Officer of the Flight Deck Division of the USS Enterprise, he was charged with not only shipboard fire fighting response, but also the 125-man division’s damage control, fire fighting, and rescue training.

Walt was assigned for three years to the Navy’s North Island Naval Air Station, Naval Air Technical Training Center. In this capacity he served as Senior Instructor for Shipboard Fire Fighting, Damage Control, Aircraft Crash Fire Fighting, and rescue procedures for Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers. His duties included teaching and writing lesson plans and instruction manuals for a number of courses pertaining to fire fighting techniques and equipment.

Prior to becoming a full-time instructor for Fremont Maritime, Walt was employed 15 years as a Federal fire fighter at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA. He held the position of Fire Fighter/EMT, substitute Fire Captain, and Hazardous Materials Technician.

Randall Hyde, Senior Fire Fighting Instructor

Mr. Hyde is a Federal fire fighter who currently holds the rank of Captain in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Fire Department. A skilled fire officer, Randy provides fire protection, inspection, emergency medical aid, and hazardous materials response to all shipyard resources. These include buildings, shops, warehouses, piers, fuel and hazardous material storage facilities, as well as nuclear, steam, and diesel-powered ships in various stages of repair. Randy is also serves as a substitute assistant fire chief, assuming those duties in his absence and operating at the strategic level as incident commander.

As a trainer in his department, Randy instructs fire fighters in all aspects of shipboard fire fighting, in classroom environments and practical training. He oversees training exercises and actual fire scenes ensuring the safety of personnel, equipment and property. He monitors the safe practices of his subordinates and safety of the work area, ensuring personnel are thoroughly trained in the use of protective clothing and equipment.

Mr. Hyde’s professional experience also includes six years in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a fire fighter and crew chief at Air Force bases in the U.S. and Korea. His extensive professional training includes Instructor Training at the Washington State Fire Training Academy and Marine Fire Fighting and Emergency Training at Texas A&M University.

Jerry Daniels, Senior Instructor

Jerry Daniels is a Federal fire fighter who is currently assigned to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Fire Department. In this capacity he provides fire protection, inspection, emergency medical aid, and hazardous materials response to all shipyard resources and vessels under layup and repair.

From 1983 - 1994 Mr. Daniels served in the U.S. Air Force in a number of duty stations. As a trainer, he managed a complex fire protection training program for more than 45 fire fighters. He instructed level 1, 2, and 3 fire fighters in occupational safety, hazardous material handling , and fire fighting techniques. He directed on the job training programs, orchestrated training exercises, and supervised actual fire scenes ensuring the safety of personnel, equipment, and property. As a supervisor in the Air Force, Daniels was at different times in his career in charge of 10 to 27 fire fighters, driver/engineers, and emergency medical technicians.

Mr. Daniels holds an Associate of Arts degree in Fire Science from the Community College of the Air Force, and has successfully completed a number of professional training courses, including: Fire Instructor Level 1, Fire Officer Level 1, Fire Fighting Management Principles, Emergency Medical Technician Levels 1 and 2, and Hazardous Materials First Responder.

Phil Baumgrass, Senior Instructor

Phil is a Captain in the Federal Fire Service who is currently assigned to the Navy's Jackson Park Hospital and Housing complex in Bremerton. In this capacity he provides fire protection, inspection, emergency medical aid, and hazardous materials response to all shipyard resources and vessels under layup and repair.

David Oxley, Fire Fighting Instructor

Dave is a Federal fire fighter who is currently assigned to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Fire Department. In this capacity he provides fire protection, inspection, emergency medical aid, and hazardous materials response to all shipyard resources and vessels under layup and repair

Travis Sick, Fire Fighting Instructor
Travis is a Captain in the Federal Fire Service who is currently assigned to the Navy's Jackson Park Hospital and Housing complex in Bremerton. In this capacity he provides fire protection, inspection, emergency medical aid, and hazardous materials response to all shipyard resources and vessels under layup and repair.

David Tait, Instructor
Currently employed as a Firefighter/Paramedic in the Bellevue, Washington Fire Department, Dave specializes in First Aid/CPR and AED training.

Kyle Higgins, Instructor
A Firefighter/EMT in the Kirkland, Washington Fire Department, and a Damage Controlman in the Coast Guard Reserve, Kyle is an experienced Firefighting and Damage Control Instructor.

Corey Caulk, Instructor

Also a Firefighter/EMT in the Kirkland, Washington Fire Department and an experienced Firefighting and Damage Control Instructor, Corey served as a Damage Controlman in the U.S. Navy and is Coast Guard-trained Rescue Swimmer.

Shawn Williams, Instructor

Aaron Adkins, Instructor

Matt Wright, Instructor

Jennifer Hassa, Registrar