Bayou-born and raised, Travis Etie, pronounced “Etch-ā” (with a Cajun accent), has been teaching for Roco since 2016 when he completed his Instructor Development program and started as an intern instructor. He quickly moved up the ranks to Chief Instructor in 2020. In this role, he leads Roco classes in confined space and high angle rescue all across the Gulf Coast region. Travis is well known for his passion as a rescue instructor as well as his dedication to the emergency response field.

When asked about Roco’s mission, Travis quickly sums it up… “It’s all about providing safe and simple instructions for performing real-world technical rescues.” As far as the most rewarding part of his job, he says, “Meeting new people and passing on the latest rescue skill sets and safety techniques along with my fellow Roco instructors.” He adds, “The camaraderie among our instructors and students is something special to watch.”

Travis is always in high demand by Roco customers (even though they can’t pronounce his name or understand his Cajun accent!) His humble attitude and love for teaching makes him an ideal lead instructor for Roco classes. He is known for getting his students involved and making it fun to learn. He is also known for staying after class to make sure all students are up-to-speed with the techniques he is teaching.

A long-time member of his local fire department, Travis currently serves as a Fire Captain with the St. John Fire Department in south Louisiana. In 2016, he was named Louisiana Firefighter of the Year for his dedication and professionalism. He is trained and certified as an EMT; CPR Instructor; Fire Captain; Rope & Confined Space Rescue Technician; Swift Water Rescue Technician; HazMat Technician; and LSU Firefighter Lead Evaluator.

Travis is also known for staying extremely active and jokes about having four kids and five jobs! But, he’s serious. From Roco to the fire department to a lawn service business and more, Travis stays on the go all the time. He lives in LaPlace, Louisiana, with his amazing wife and their four wonderful teenagers…that last part may be an oxymoron, not sure. Travis is active in his local church, bold in sharing his faith and always gives God the glory!

In his very spare time, he enjoys health and fitness. In fact, he is famous among the Roco ranks as having perfect muscles and perfect hair – even after wearing a helmet all day! Travis is also heavily involved with Firefighter Functional Gear Training, which refers to working out in a way that mimics movements routinely performed in fire and rescue operations. This practical, but specialized training, improves firefighter performance, reduces injuries and prolongs careers; a win-win scenario for the firefighter and the department.

Coming from the largest police force in the United States and serving in the prestigious NYPD Emergency Services Unit, Kenny Greene has a wealth of knowledge in multiple technical rescue disciplines. Having been a member of NYPD for 22 years and assigned to ESU for the past 16 years, he has developed and honed his skills serving the city that never sleeps. He has served as the lead rope rescue, trench rescue, and building collapse instructor for the past 7 years. Kenny also serves as a rescue specialist with FEMA’s New York Task Force 1.

Six years ago, Kenny came to work for Roco Rescue as an assistant rope and confined space rescue instructor and a CSRT standby rescue crew member. With his skills and experience, he quickly moved up the ranks to a Chief Instructor and CSRT Crew Chief. Kenny also serves as one of Roco’s primary Chief Trench Rescue Instructors, assisting in keeping the program up to date. He has brought a wealth of specialized knowledge and experience to the Roco team.

When asked about Roco’s mission, Kenny’s response is direct and to the point – “Overthink your actions in training, not on a real-life rescue. This way you learn how to keep it clean and efficient.” And he definitely emphasizes this with his students as he teaches for Roco across the nation. According to Kenny, “Overly complex systems often prove to be a hindrance to the rescue, causing needless delays.” He adds, “It’s best to keep it safe and simple.”

Kenny really enjoys teaching new students – in fact, he says the most rewarding part of his job with Roco is “seeing people who maybe have never worked together, operate as a team by the end of a class.” A major component of any successful rescue is teamwork, and that’s what Kenny instills in his students. Repetitive practice of skills, realistic scenarios and working together as a cohesive team can mean the difference in life or death for the victim.

Kenny lives on Long Island and says his favorite activity outside work is going camping with his family.

When asked what he enjoys outside of work, Chris stated, “I’m a musician. I’ve always been musically inclined and can play many different instruments.” He added, “I’m also a smoked meat connoisseur; as a hobby, I enjoy making my own sausage, Tasso[1] and other smoked / Cajun style meats.” Aside from that, Chris enjoys anything outdoors (hunting, fishing, camping, etc.) Above all else, he says, “I enjoy spending time with my family!”

[1] Tasso – from the Cajun dictionary, Tasso is smoked, spiced, and cured meat from a hog – a specialty of south Louisiana cuisine.

Michelle Rivere joined Roco Rescue in 2007 in an administrative role. She has since advanced to Training Coordinator/Sr. Administrative Assistant. When asked to describe her current duties, she said, “When it comes to training at Roco, I support almost every aspect. I ensure that our training programs are scheduled, staffed, supported and documented – so that our clients, students and instructors get everything they need for an excellent course.”

As Training Coordinator, Michelle works very closely with Roco’s Director of Training Chris Carlsen in a number of projects including the development of course/instructor outlines and the Roco Student Study Guides. She establishes Roco’s annual open-enrollment course schedule, maintains the internal instructor work calendar, oversees the travel system for instructors and creates training proposals for clients.

Perhaps one of her biggest responsibilities is coordinating Roco’s Annual Rescue Challenge with the Director of Training. This involves planning and hosting the two-day event for rescue teams from across the nation. According to Michelle, “Rescue Challenge offers an incredible opportunity for teams to practice their skills in challenging scenarios under pre-set time limits to simulate the pressures of a real rescue.”

When asked about Roco’s mission, she says, “To provide the best, safest and most reliable rescue training along with exceptional customer service.” As far as the most rewarding part of her job, she adds, “Helping our clients receive the training course that is best for them along with the documentation required to demonstrate successful completion. This is especially important for a company’s training and compliance records.”

Michelle was born in New Orleans and now resides near Baton Rouge with her husband of 35 years. They have two grown sons and two awesome grandchildren. “They are my world!” according to Michelle. She enjoys spending time with her family – and loves attending music concerts and anything that involves being on a beach! She adds, “My faith in Jesus Christ remains a constant in my life, and I am very blessed to have the family and job that I do.”

If you’ve contacted Roco about rescue equipment recently, you’ve probably talked with Teresa Wilson. She talks with customers about their equipment needs and helps to make sure they get what they need, when they need it. She prepares quotes, processes purchase orders for sales and inventory, oversees shipping, and processes invoices once the order is shipped. Teresa handles all phone orders as well as website orders. She is responsible for updating product information in our accounting software and on the Roco website. In addition to managing our sales inventory, she also helps with inventory tracking for our training gear and CSRT services equipment.

Teresa joined Roco Rescue in 2015 as a member of our Equipment Sales and Service team. As she learned more about rescue gear and our internal processes, she took on more managerial responsibilities in 2017. Prior to joining Roco, Teresa spent much of her career in various administrative roles from the corporate setting to the construction industry. She lives in Central, which is just outside Baton Rouge. In her spare time, Teresa enjoys cooking and spending time with her children.

When asked about the most rewarding part of her job, Teresa says, “Knowing that I am helping others get the equipment they need in order to train and/or follow through on any rescues that may arise in their response area is most rewarding. Also, being able to work along side and learn from some of the best in the business who truly care and constantly strive to help others possibly save lives all in the name of safety.”

Teresa also believes in the company’s mission, which she describes as, “Roco strives to say up-to-date with all safety standards and OSHA regulations to provide top notch training, contracted standby rescue teams and equipment – while ensuring that safety is top priority for clients and employees.”

Mayumi Davis joined Roco Rescue in December 2014 as a member of the Account Services team. She got her start with Roco through a temporary agency but quickly became a full-time employee. Her duties and responsibilities with the company are many, but her primary focus is Roco’s CSRT Standby Rescue Division. Mayumi processes all CSRT invoicing and all personnel timesheets. Of course, this means a lot of exacting work, which Mayumi bravely faces each day.

Prior to joining Roco, Mayumi earned a BS degree in Accounting at LSU and worked at several local firms, including the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. She states, “I was extremely fortunate to be able to stay at home with my children until they reached school age. And that’s when I decided to re-enter the workforce.” This is when the temp agency led her to Roco Rescue.

When asked about her work experience, she adds, “It’s been wonderful working with Cindy and Sandra at Roco. I have learned to become a stronger accountant. Together, we can tackle any obstacle, working as a team!” According to Mayumi, the most rewarding part of her job is receiving positive feedback from CSRT personnel, colleagues and clients.

Mayumi lives in Prairieville, Louisiana, which is just south of Baton Rouge. She and her husband have been blessed with two children, Logan and Mia. They are a very active family, who love nature and the outdoors. They enjoy riding ATV’s on wooded trails, especially when the weather is nice. And, Mayumi will tell you – she loves to visit National Parks! She has visited Yosemite, Sequoia, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky and Big Bend national parks. Next on their family’s itinerary is the Everglades National Park in Florida.

Mayumi is a dedicated, loyal employee who always strives to do her best. When asked about the Roco mission, she stated, “Roco has a commitment to save lives around the planet through education and safety awareness. Roco strives to always be a positive contributor to our local community.”

Chief Instructor, Flight Medic, Firefighter, Task Force Leader, Traveling Man…Heath Petty has done it all. He is currently a full-time Chief Instructor for Roco’s tactical/military division as well as for the civilian side of Roco. In his unique position, Heath has had the opportunity to teach rescuers in both the civilian and military arenas. He can bridge the gap between these arenas and teach the concepts associated with each discipline in a way that is practical no matter what the mission.

Having taught hundreds of classes over the years, Heath has worked with rescue teams from across the nation – including specialized teams from all branches of the military, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. As part of his “tactical-side” duties, Heath also serves as the Facility Security Officer for Roco with DOD programs in association with a Department of Energy national site.

While working for the Albuquerque (NM) Fire Department, Heath first came to work for Roco in 1998 as a part-time CPR instructor at a major computer manufacturing facility. He later completed all levels of Roco rescue training, including Instructor Development, to become an instructor in addition to his CSRT on-site rescue service duties at the manufacturing facility. In 2005, he became a Chief Instructor and taught his first Roco tactical course the following year. He retired from the AFD after 20 years and became a full-time Roco employee in October 2015.

During Heath’s 20 years with the Albuquerque Fire Department, he served as a Lieutenant on an Engine company and spent part of his career with AFD’s Heavy Rescue Station. He was also a member of the New Mexico Task Force 1, FEMA USAR team. As part of this team, he responded as a Rescue Squad Specialist to the Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks. He then responded as Rescue Squad Leader to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita in 2005. The NMTF-1 was credited with rescuing numerous civilians trapped in flood waters during these deployments on the Gulf coast.

In 2009, Heath enlisted in the New Mexico Army National Guard and was assigned as a Flight Medic on a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter, call sign DUSTOFF. He later deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). From 2011-2012, he responded to more than 200 MEDEVAC combat missions in hostile environments and received numerous awards and citations. He was medically retired from the US Army in 2019.

When asked what’s the most rewarding part of his job, Heath replied, “Working with people who are willing to put their lives on the line every day for someone else. And to see the look of satisfaction when they learn a new set of skills to better perform these lifesaving duties.” Roco’s mission aligns perfectly, Heath adds, “Our mission at Roco is to provide exceptional, up-to-date and time critical training and consulting to individuals and teams whose mission is saving lives. This could be rescuing a person from a dangerous situation or moving personnel into potentially dangerous situations, such as EOD events.”

Now, for the traveling part, Heath loves to roam the country cruising in his van. While he’s currently “parked” in Omaha, Nebraska, you never know where he’s off to next. Heath loves adventure – from mountain biking to spending time with his two amazing daughters. He’s definitely a proud dad.

Sandra Eisworth currently serves as accountant for Roco Rescue. As such, she is involved in all financial and accounting matters for Roco, from managing payables, receivables and invoicing, to payroll, accounting, tax reporting, and handling insurance matters.

Sandra joined Roco in 1990 and was the company’s very first full-time employee. From the beginning, Sandra has worn many hats, handling all accounting functions as well as being involved in inventory and sales. As the company grew, her role evolved so that she was able to narrow her focus to accounting matters. For three decades now, Sandra has been a critical part of Roco’s tremendous growth and success. “It’s amazing how large the company has grown since I started here,” she says.

Sandra holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Louisiana State University. Prior to joining Roco Rescue, she worked in public accounting. Although she enjoyed her work, she decided that long-term she wanted to be more intimately involved in helping grow a small or medium-sized business. When she learned about Roco Rescue in early 1990, she decided that this was the opportunity she’d been seeking. Sandra soon became in-house accountant for Roco and was also involved in other aspects of running the business, from managing inventory to interfacing with employees, contractors, and customers.

Sandra’s role has evolved since joining the company, especially as it has grown. Although she now focuses more closely on accounting and finances, her tasks are still fairly diverse. “My tasks really vary day-to-day,” she says, “from fielding requests for information, reporting to outside agencies, handling employment verifications, dealing with insurance, invoicing, and managing compensation for our contractors.”

Sandra enjoys the diverse nature of this work. “Different things come up each day, so it’s interesting to see what I may end up working on during the day,” she says. But by far what she enjoys most is her co-workers at Roco Rescue. “What I love most is the people,” she says. “I enjoy getting to work with everyone here at Roco Rescue, from the employees to the customers.” Sandra attributes her tremendous job satisfaction to the quality of people at Roco, and the culture that’s been created by CEO Kay Goodwyn.

“She has been so wonderful to work for all these years,” Sandra says. “She’s very supportive of all of us, and you can tell she truly cares. This is not just a company to her. She cares about the employees, she cares about the customers – she’s just a very humble, honest, and smart businesswoman.”

Sandra resides just outside of Baton Rouge in the small Louisiana town of Central. Outside of her work with Roco, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling. Sandra is also a “Great Aunt,” and one of her very favorite things is spending time with her niece’s two young boys – they are truly the light of her life!

With more than 30 years’ experience, Sandra looks forward to continuing to work for Roco and to further its mission by providing exemplary service. “I want to increase my knowledge, learn, and grow, to be more productive and efficient, and to improve my communication skills.” She sees Roco’s continued mission as one of excellence…by providing the best equipment and exceptional training and highest level of customer service, while treating its valued customers sincerely, with respect, honor, and dignity.

Brad Warr is a Chief Instructor for Roco Rescue, he came on board in 2003 and teaches a wide variety of technical rescue classes including rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue, and structural collapse. He is also a member of Roco’s Contracted Safety & Rescue Team (CSRT), providing standby rescue services for plants, refineries and other industrial facilities.

Brad became a firefighter for the Nampa (ID) Fire Department in 1998 and was promoted to Captain in 2006, he recently retired earlier this year. His responsibilities included training the department’s Heavy & Technical Rescue Team. Before joining the fire department, Brad worked for three years as an Emergency Response Technician for a large manufacturer in Boise, Idaho, where he was responsible for OSHA compliance, emergency medical response, confined space/rope rescue response and hazardous materials response.

Brad lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife and is the proud father of five grown boys. When he isn’t instructing he enjoys hunting and all-season mountain biking, including in the Idaho snow on his fat-tire bike.

Troy Gardner teaches a wide variety of technical rescue courses in his role as a Chief Instructor – a position he’s held since 2008. He is qualified in multiple areas including rope rescue, confined space, trench rescue, structural collapse, vehicle extrication and hazmat. He teaches primarily industrial and municipal courses and recently began helping lead Roco’s Instructor Development Course.

Troy’s work as a firefighter with the Bossier City Fire Department in northwestern Louisiana introduced him to technical rescue back in the mid-1990s, when he was selected as one of the original team members for the special operations rescue team. As a member of that team, he routinely volunteered to offer any assistance in training sessions when it came to rope rescue or confined space skills. He also served as the department’s Safety Officer for four years. He retired from the fire department in 2017 after a 25-year career. For the last 11 years of his career as a firefighter, Troy worked concurrently as a Roco Rescue Chief Instructor during his off-shifts and on vacation time.

Prior to joining the fire service, Troy served in the U.S. Marine Corps, including a 9-month tour in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm/Shield.

Troy is from Bossier City, Louisiana, and in his free time he loves to be outdoors. A few of his favorite activities are skiing, golfing, hunting, and going to the lake with friends. He and his wife love going to any beach that will allow them to scuba dive. They also love travelling to new places and are both motorcycle enthusiasts who love to be together on the open road on their Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

In his role as Chief Instructor, Terry leads training courses throughout the United States in confined space, high angle, structural collapse, tactical, trench, and fall protection rescue. Terry’s instructional skill-set draws on his experience in law enforcement, fire protection, and the U.S. Air Force.

Terry is currently the Fire Chief with the South Salt Lake City Fire Department. Additionally, he is a sworn law enforcement officer for the State of Utah and has served as a tactical medic on the South Salt Lake City Police Department’s SWAT Team. He was also a cross-deputized federal marshal and has served on the Joint Criminal Apprehension Team as a task force officer and team medic. Terry has been teaching rescue training courses for Roco Rescue since 2000, and he plans to work full-time for Roco Rescue once he retires from the fire department.

Throughout his career, Terry has been recognized for his outstanding service as both a firefighter and a law enforcement officer. He received the United States Marshal Service Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award as well as the South Salt Lake Fire Officer of the Year Award and South Salt Lake Firefighter of the Year Award. He is a member of the Utah Fire Chiefs Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Firefighters, and the International Association of Arson Investigators. Terry is a certified rescue technician in the areas of structural collapse, confined space, rope, and trench rescue. He also is certified in emergency response hazardous materials awareness and operations and is a HAZMAT Technician. He is a POST Firearm Instructor and an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and holds an MPA in Emergency Management. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife and two grown children.

Bobby Kauer (more commonly known as “B.K.”) has two highly visible roles at Roco – one in services and one in training. In services, he manages a growing portfolio of business for Roco’s Contracted Safety and Rescue Teams (CSRT) for the Northeast. In this role, he interfaces with customers to assess jobs and coordinates with his team of experienced rescuers to staff jobs all over the Northeast. In his role as Chief Instructor, B.K. teaches on a wide variety of topics including rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue, and fall protection. His students are primarily industrial rescue teams and municipal first responders.

B.K. began working for Roco Rescue in 2004, when he joined on a part-time basis as an Instructor. His roots in technical rescue originate from his 22-year career with New York City’s Department of Corrections, where he was on the Emergency Services Unit (ESU). In that role, he trained alongside NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit, and later was an ESU Instructor. He was a first responder at Ground Zero on 9/11 and for 4 months afterwards did search and recovery work.

B.K. was born and raised on Long Island, in New York, and currently lives upstate in Orange County, New York. He is a captain with his local volunteer fire department. When he can get away for a few hours, he is likely to be found playing golf. He also loves being with his family – he and his wife have two daughters, Kayla and Kiana, and 2 grandkids.