In this episode of Disaster Recovery Roundtable, Moderator, Greg Padgett discusses the origins of Miami-Dade’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) program with Tidal Basin’s Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Carlos Castillo, CEM and retired Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief, Dave Downey.
Carlos Castillo held several leadership roles at the local, national, and international levels. His 26-year career with Florida’s Miami-Dade County in fire and emergency services included managing some of the nation’s largest disasters and three years as Director of Emergency Management where he managed the county’s response and recovery for the 2004 and 2005 historic hurricane seasons.
Dave Downey was hired as a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Metro-Dade Fire Department in 1988, currently known as Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Since joining Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, he has led an impeccable, distinguished career working his way up the ranks as a firefighter, company officer, battalion chief, division chief, and assistant fire chief to eventually become fire chief in 2013.
Originally operating as a single-unit fire patrol in 1935, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue has grown into one of the top ten largest accredited fire-rescue departments in the southeastern United States. Learn more about the USAR program and the significant impact it has made on our nation’s disaster recovery efforts.
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