GUARD·IAN | \ ˈGÄR-DĒ-ƏN
1: one assigned to protect or oversee another: such as a: a person or a body of persons on sentinel duty
2 a: a defensive state or attitude b: a defensive position
3 a: the act or duty of protecting or defending b: the state of being protected a: to protect from danger especially by watchful attention : make secure police guarding our cities
b: to stand at the entrance of as if on guard or as a barrier
c: to tend to carefully
Josh
Founder | Director of Training
Josh is former a police officer for a large metropolitan police department in Arizona and former police officer in North Dakota. Josh has over 15 years of law enforcement and military experience. He was awarded his former agency's Lifesaving Award, a multitude of commendations, and Elk's Lodge Police Officer of the Year.
Following service with the USAF, where (as a Distinguished Graduate of the USAF’s Security Forces Academy), he was a member of the Tactical Response Force (TRF) providing Group- and Squadron-level Tac Team security for nuclear weapons convoys, “Rapid Response” to nuclear ICBM sites.
Josh is a Smith & Wesson M&P and Glock pistol armorer. Josh is also an AZPOST certified Field Training Officer and AZPOST certified General Instructor.
Josh is an NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Pistol, Home Firearms Safety, Refuse to be a Victim, and a Certified Range Safety Officer. Also, Josh is a USCCA Certified Instructor in Concealed Carry & Home Defense Fundamentals, Emergency First Aid Fundamentals, Countering the Mass Shooter Threat, and Use of Force Simulation.
Josh is a DPS Armed Security Guard Firearms Instructor. In addition to his civilian firearms instructor certifications, he is an AZPOST Firearms Instructor, AZPOST Patrol Rifle (AR-15) Instructor, and AZDPS Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA) Firearms Instructor. Lastly, Josh is a Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) Active Shooter Threat Instructor and proud member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI).
Josh currently holds an Associates of Applied Sciences Degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor's of Arts in Social and Criminal Justice.
Josh is also a SDI Open Water Certified Diver and enjoys traveling the country and world diving.
Josh has a passion for teaching. Whether it's teaching citizens in safe and responsible gun ownership, carrying, and/or self defense, law enforcement officers in sound tactics to ensure they return home safely or military personnel in combating terrorism, he loves learning from everyone all the time, from every opportunity whether he is in front of the class or in the student's chair. His training belief is that of Bruce Lee's: "A teacher is never a giver of truth; he is a guide, a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself."
Karen
Founder | Chief Executive Officer
Karen, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, is a veteran of law enforcement with a career in the Chicago Police Department and Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) respectively.
Now since making her home in Arizona, she has taken up real estate across the valley.
During her tenure with the Chicago Police Department she was assigned to Patrol, Plain Clothes Tactical Team (Tac Team), and finally with the Marine/Helicopter Unit. Karen is a PADI Certified Advanced Open Water, Dry Suit, and SCUBA Rescue and Recovery Diver as well as US Coast Guard Certified Merchant Marine Officer.
During her tenure at the Federal Air Marshal Service she traveled the world amassing over 2 million miles providing covert security and safety to countless passengers and airline crew.
In addition to an operational Federal Air Marshal, she was a Department of Homeland Security Certified Firearms Instructor, Law Enforcement Fitness Coordinator, Defensive Measures (Defensive Tactics) Instructor, and a graduate of the Law Enforcement Instructor Development Program and Reid and Associates Behavioral Recognition/Reid Interview Technique of Interview and Interrogation and proud member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI).
Karen, since leaving law enforcement, has continued her passion for teaching and serving as an NRA Certified Firearms and Refuse To Be A Victim Instructor by providing the lessons learned over decades of training and experience to clients of all backgrounds. Also, Karen is a USCCA Certified Instructor in Concealed Carry & Home Defense Fundamentals, Emergency First Aid Fundamentals, Countering the Mass Shooter Threat, and Use of Force Simulation.
Her vast knowledge and experience of firearms, tactics, and laws is available to anyone willing to learn. Karen desires to be an ambassador to women who have aspirations of their first firearms experience and wish to learn more about the safe handling and carry of firearms.
She believes wholeheartedly in collaborative learning. She hopes to see you out on the range or in the classroom.
Tim
Director of Medical Operations
Tim began teaching First Aid and CPR in 1992 instructing classes for the community through the American Red Cross in Columbus, Ohio. That led Tim to a career in EMS which started in 1996 and he became a paramedic in 1999 and started teaching classes to other healthcare professionals in 2001.
Tim to this day continues to provide instruction and education to a broad spectrum of individuals from the lay public to law enforcement to EMS professionals to nurses to international military personnel and physicians to this day.
Professionally, Tim have worked across the healthcare spectrum from pre-hospital to in hospital to between hospital settings. As an EMT and Paramedic, Tim has worked in rural, sub-urban, urban and austere environments. He has worked on inpatient units at a Level 1 Trauma Center and in the Emergency Department at a Pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center. Tim has over twelve years as a flight paramedic on a civilian medical helicopter treating and transporting critically ill and injured patients from the scene of an incident or from an outlying hospital.
Tim has held instructor certifications with the American Heart Association, the American College of Surgeons through the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), the American College of Emergency Physicians, the National Disaster Medical System and the American Burn Association.
Tim has been recognized as a Special Topics Instructor by the State of Ohio Division of EMS and the State of Arizona Police Officer Standard Training (AZPOST) Board. Besides formal instructor certifications, he has served as a mentor and preceptor to new EMTs, paramedics, air medical flight crews and tactical paramedics. Tim has served as conference faculty and presenter at local, state and international conferences on a wide variety of topics. He continues to serve as committee member and on advisory boards for numerous local, state and national organizations.
Currently, Tim works as a pre-hospital coordinator in the Emergency Department of a Level III Trauma Center. While serving as a liaison between ground and air medical agencies and the hospital, he developed a training calendar of continuing education for EMS and provided an online delivery platform. Additionally for the hospital, he is the facility liaison for Emergency Management and provide formal instruction and micro-training for the Incident Command Team and other Emergency Management resource teams.
Tim also developed a robust medical program with a local police department with over 100 sworn police officers. Starting almost ten years ago by providing medical consultation and support with the SWAT team, now every police officer is trained in CPR, appropriate use of AED, life- saving first aid skills, management of suspected opioid overdose and prevention of hypothermia. Officers have access to a wide array of life-saving equipment including AEDs, tourniquets, hemostatic gauze, chest seals and Narcan.
With almost twenty-five years of broad field experience and teaching in a variety of environments, Tim understands adult learning styles and the importance of realistic training environments for skills retention and performance in emergency situations
Marv
Medical & Tactics Instructor
Marv entered the law enforcement profession when he became a police cadet and desk officer for the City of Palos Hills, Illinois Police Department in 1987. In 1988, Marv graduated with an Associates of Applied Sciences degree in Criminal Justice from Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois. From 1989 to 1991, he worked in the private security industry for various companies in Illinois and Arizona.
In 1991, Marv joined the Arizona State University Police Department in Tempe, Arizona as a police officer. In 1996, Marv was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He held positions as: Patrol sergeant, Field Training Program sergeant and was the police department’s Training Coordinator. In 2013, Marv retired from the Arizona State University Police Department and is currently working as a police officer with the Maricopa County Community College District Police Department.
Marv has taught classes and provided instruction at the Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy, the Glendale Community College Police Academy, the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy and the Mesa Police Academy. He is a subject matter expert in Patrol Procedures and Operations through the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) Board.
Marv was a member of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers until the organization disbanded in 2006. In 2005 and 2006, Marv was a contract instructor for the Criminal Justice Institute in Little Rock, Arkansas teaching “Field Training for the 21st Century”. In 2013, Marv became an adjunct instructor for the Lamar Institute of Technology Regional Police Academy in Beaumont, Texas.
Marv holds AZPOST specialty instructor in high risk vehicle stops, defensive tactics, impact weapons and chemical agents. He specializes in officer safety and survival training. Marv has been recognized as an instructor in mobile field force and crowd control response tactics. Marv also conducts training on the topics of building searches, low light survival, high risk entry and active shooter response.
Marv holds provider certifications in Basic Life Support, Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support and Emergency Medical Responder. He is also an instructor in Stop the Bleed.
Marv is a NAMI Crisis Intervention Team police officer; and, is currently a member in good standing with the Arizona Tactical Officers Association and the National Tactical Officer’s Association.
Marv truly believes in the concept of "Always a student, sometimes an instructor". He has a passion for knowledge transfer and his congenial nature shines through in every class he teaches.
Dana
Firearms & Tactics Instructor
A 27-year veteran of the New York State Police. Dana is true up-through-the-ranks professional with seven years of experience as a Trooper, seven years as a sergeant, and twelve years as a station commander and zone sergeant.
Dana volunteered and served in some of the most tragic and trying times in American history. These were ranging from natural disasters such as floods to hurricanes to terrorist events such as the attacks on September 11, 2001, completing a rotation at the collapse of the World Trade Center within 24 hours of the incident.
During his career, he was a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), a state certified Fire Investigator, Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) | Radiological Technician, and certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Clandestine Laboratory Technician. Dana is a proud member of the International Association of Arson Investigators and the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA).
Dana currently holds an Associates of Applied Sciences in Police Science and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
During Dana's career, he had extensive experience leading an organization with as many as 94 staff members tasked with addressing criminal investigations, operations and training. He is an expert in Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Dana brings an enthusiastic approach in knowledge and expertise in defensive tactics, weapons manipulation and small team tactics. He leads, teaches, and mentors from not only a textual basis, but from an experiential perspective.
Chip
Firearms & Tactics Instructor
Chip is a Retired Law Enforcement Officer and United States Marine Corps Veteran with 28 years of collective service. During his professional tenure, he has been assigned to Patrol, Public Housing Division, as well as a Field Training Officer, Motors/Traffic Division, the Alcohol Control Board, Executions Team, Plain Clothes/Narcotics, Outlaw Bikers/Motorcycle Gangs, SAU/SWAT and the last decade and a half of his tenure, as a Hostage Negotiator.
He has an extensive background in Crisis Intervention & Positive Resolution / EDP / Crisis & Hostage Negotiations and the applied training in these specialized areas. His courses educates, promotes and supports collaborative efforts that create and sustain positive, effective interactions with Law Enforcement & Mental Health Care providers with individuals with Cognitive Disorders, Mental Illness(es), Special Needs and PTS. This course offers education in recognition, de-escalation tactics and resource information, while striving to reduce the Stigma that encompasses these topics.
Currently, he keeps himself busy as a Civilian Firearms and CCW Instructor in Arizona. Sharing his passion for personal protection and family safety, his courses not only include the knowledge and skills of self-defense, but also shares educational perspectives on the Legal aspects of Lawful and Justifiable uses of Force and Deadly Physical Force, in protecting yourself, and innocent third parties.
Chase
Medical Instructor
Chase was born in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho then moved to Fountain Hills, Arizona at the age of 10. He participated in sports such as gymnastics for 6 years, competing professionally across the North and Southwest regions and winning several regional titles. During his junior and senior years of high completed two years of firefighter training, achieving both Cadet of the Year and a Fitness Award. He attended East Valley Institute of Technology in the Fire Science division and finished top of his class.
Chase volunteers every year with the Arizona Burn Foundation program, Camp Courage, which helps young adults and children that have been affected by fire injuries and events. This helps them to maintain a healthy relationship with themselves and others through the guidance of counselors and support staff that create a fun atmosphere for them to express themselves.
Chase is currently a Wildland Firefighter in Arizona, having worked across Arizona and other states on various fires. He is currently finishing an Associates in Applied Sciences Degree in Emergency Response and Operations. Chase has a passion for learning as well as teaching his knowledge with the hope of continuing his wildland firefighting career in both Arizona and Idaho.
Since Chase joining Guardian, he looks forward to teaching medical classes including CPR/AED, First Aid, and Stop the Bleed.
