NAPD Instructors
Michael W. Gast
President, National Academy of Police Diving
Michael Gast retired February 16, 2007 as an active police diver from Miami Dade, Florida police dive team. He has extensive experience, with over 20 years as a full-time police diver. He has personally been involved in more than 5,000 underwater recovery and investigation operations. He was the Dive Coordinator for the recovery efforts of ValuJet Flight 592 in 1996. Michael is the founder and president of the NAPD.
He Joined the Public Safety Department in 1973 and has worked in the Security Service Section, Uniform Patrol, Marine Patrol, and Underwater Recovery, assigned to full time Police Diver duties since 1982. Since then he has completed over five thousand police related dives, including vehicle recoveries, vessel recoveries, body recoveries, evidence searches and recoveries, aircraft recoveries (including helicopter), firearm recoveries, hull surveys, explosives recoveries, and one SCUBA rescue.
Officer Gast has taught Police Diving Technique/Search and Recovery at the Florida Keys Community College, Broward Community College, Metro-Dade Police Institute, Charlotte County Sheriff's Department, Gulf Coast Community College, Miami Police Department, Coral Gables Police Department and the Hollywood Police Department. Officer Gast has assisted, conducted underwater investigations and trained the FBI, DEA, Customs, National Parks Service, US Secret Service, US Navy, US Air Force, NTSB, FAA, FDLE, FHP, FMP and numerous local law enforcement agencies through out the State of Florida.
C. Russell Whiting Jr. (Rusty)
National Training Director
Born in Portsmouth, Va. Rusty was raised in the military and traveled around the world with his family. After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S.Army and served with the 82nd airborne division. He started diving at the age of 15 years old and became an OW Instructor with PADI in 1978.
Rusty has always enjoyed finding things under the water and many different law enforcement agencies have called him to assist them in underwater recoveries. In 1980 the Director of the Civil Defense for the state of Georgia recruited Rusty's services to train the first Search and Recovery Team for the state of Georgia. This started Public Safety Dive Training, as we know it today in this state. 29 years later, Rusty continues to teach Public Safety Diving.
He still maintains very strong ties with the Public Safety, Commercial, and Sport Diving Communities. Rusty has two sons, Christopher and Chad. Christopher is an OW Instructor and serving with the U.S.Army. His youngest son, Chad, is still in school and is well on his way developing his own path in the diving industry.
Rusty has written several books and programs on diving, for both the Public Safety and Sport Diving industries and is working on others. His experience in the Public Safety field has allowed him to share his expertises with many different agencies, both training and diving whenever needed.
He still teaches and dives full time. Rusty also serves as the Southeastern Regional Director for NASE/WASI. The Pro-Staff National Director for NASE/WASI. Public Safety Director For The International Diving Institute in Charleston, S.C. The Public Safety Director for Divers Den in St. Marys, Georgia, which serves as the Southeastern Regional Training Facility for the National Academy of Police Diving. He is the owner of Lighthouse Dive Services in Brunswick, Georgia. Also the Regional Director for the Southeast, for the National Academy of Police Diving and an Instructor Trainer for Ocean Reef, full-face mask.
Rustys long term plans are to continue writing and teaching, as long as he can make a contribution. He can still be reached at Divers Den, in St. Marys, Georgia 912-882-7078 or click here to email Diver's Den
Joel Talley
Executive Director
In 2000 Joel joined the International ALERT Academy and began his public safety diver training. After graduating in 2001 Joel came on staff as a member of the Aquatic Department. In the Fall of 2005 Joel moved into the position of Aquatic Program Director.
He oversees all aquatic training (including the Emergency Response dive training), responses, the Advanced Aquatic Dive Training, and dive recoveries for local law enforcement.
In addition to the training and certification of ALERT men, Joel has worked with the NAPD as an Instructor for the Underwater Police Science and Technology course in Miami Florida and has trained Fire and Police Divers from around the World. He is currently on the Board of Directors and is the Executive Director for the NAPD.
Education, Training and Certifications
- Instructor Evaluator with the National Academy of Police Diving (NAPD)
- Instructor Trainer with the National Association of SCUBA Educators (NASE)
- Instructor with the American Red Cross
- Instructor with Kilgore College, Texas
- Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from North Tennessee Bible Institute and Seminary
For more information about ALERT please visit (www.alertacademy.com)
Rick Rocco
Police Diver Instructor
Lieutenant Rick Rocco has over 20 years in law enforcement. Previously serving with the Lakewood Ohio Police Department he was a member of SWAT and served as a Field Training Officer, Investigator, and Defensive Tactics Instructor. In 1995 Lieutenant Rocco relocated to Florida where he joined the Lauderhill Police Department. Lieutenant Rocco has served as the Department's Training Coordinator, assistant Public Information Officer, Road Patrol Sergeant, and supervisor of the Professional Standards Unit.
Lieutenant Rocco is the Bravo Shift Watch Commander, assigned to the Operations Bureau. In addition to road patrol supervision he is responsible for the Training Unit, Field Training Program and the Underwater Recovery Team. Lieutenant Rocco is an adjunct instructor at the Broward Community College Institute of Public Safety specializing in defensive tactics, firearms, driving and FDLE CMS Curriculum. He is also a Police Diver Instructor through the National Academy of Police Diving.
Lieutenant Rocco is a graduate of the Southern Police Institutes 31st Command Officer’s Development Course and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. He is a member of the FDLE Region 13 Criminal Justice Training Council, American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, International Association of Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, and the International Association of Firearms Instructors.
Peter Gardner
Police Diver Instructor
Peter Gardner is a retired Navy Submariner. He started diving recreationally in 1992 and in 1997 began diving with the Camden County, Georgia Search and Rescue Dive Team. The team was originally comprised of recreational divers. Peter soon realized that Public Safety Diving required more advanced and highly specialized diving skills than the recreational divers’ possessed. It was then, when his quest for knowledge of methods for his team to dive more safely began. The following few years were filled with advancing his recreational diving training and self-education from any source available: Navy dive manuals, professional dive manuals, police agencies, various dive rescue groups and publications. In 2002, Peter became a Recreational Dive Instructor and a Public Safety Diving Instructor with an internationally known agency. The search for more knowledge continued and in 2006 Peter certified as a Police Diving Instructor with the National Academy of Police Diving. He is currently the Captain of the Camden County, Georgia Search and Rescue Team and also maintains several qualifications and certifications with FEMA and the American Red Cross.
Erik Phariss
Special Response Diver Instructor
Born in Santa Cruz CA, Erik grew up in and around the water. When he was nine he first began competitive swimming and body boarding. In 2003, he joined the International ALERT Academy and is a graduate of the Aquatic program. Certifications earned while with Aquatics are as follows: Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Basic Nitrox, Drysuit, Underwater Photography, Rescue Diver, Divemaster, Open Water, and Specialty Instructor through the National Association of SCUBA Educators, (NASE). He also received his Special Response, Tactical Diver, and SRD Instructor certifications through the (NAPD). During his time at ALERT he was a vital member of their search and recovery dive team.
He graduated in 2007 from language school in Chapala, Mexico. He holds the equivalent of a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Erik is an active recreational dive instructor and is the first NAPD instructor in Mexico.