Our Team
The Board of Directors
- Dr. Dion A. Petaros
- Mrs. Jocelyn Whitfield
- Mrs. Chris Salisberry
The Alpha Team Board of Directors was chosen and elected to provide our organization with the best possible representation of professional abilities and for their skills for search and rescue, leadership, incident command, and public relations. Our board of directors works with Alpha Team in an advisory role to provide guidance to the organization and to promote the capabilities of search and rescue teams like ours throughout the United States of America. We are proud of our Board of Directors and honored that they are willing to assist us in accomplishing our goal of being the very best.
The Alpha Team Members
Alpha Team K9 SAR is formed from a group of highly motivated and dedicated volunteers and professionals who have devoted their lives to saving others. The time and effort we put into training ourselves, our team, and our dogs is tremendous. Our dogs are our own and we train them because they love to work. We constantly marvel at their capabilities and their desire to accomplish the tasks we put before them. All Alpha Team K9s are GEMA certified.
It takes a very special type of person to operate in search and rescue. Below you’ll find some of the pictures from team trainings, demonstrations, and social events where you can see us and our dogs at work. Thanks for stopping by and please check back often for updated photos!
Paula Chambers, President
Operational Human Remains K9: “Billi”
Air Scent K9: “Madison” (retired)
NASAR SARTECH II/K9 SARTECH III: Air Scent and HRD,
NAPWDA, NNDDA, GEMA Licensed
NASAR SARTECH II, MLPI, JHPTS Basic Mantracker,
Comms and Field Support Specialist
Stuart Samples, Senior Advisor & Training Coordinator
Air Scent K9: “Kona”
NASAR SARTECH II/K9 SARTECH III: HR,
NAPWDA, MLPI
Paul Ruszczyk, Treasurer
Operational Human Remains K9: “Barney”
NASAR SARTECH II, NAPWDA, Comms Specialist
Cheryl Knieriemen, Documentation Coordinator
Certified Air Scent K9: “Graeson”
NASAR SARTECH II, NAPWDA
Pam Nyberg
Operational Human Remains Detection K9 “Jamie”
Operational Trailing K9: “Bodi”
K9-in-Training: “Jazz”
NASAR SARTECH II, NAPWDA, MLPI
Sherri Schwartz
Operational Human Remains Detection K9 “Clue”
RN Certified, Trailing, NASAR SARTECH II, NAPWDA
Grant Juneau
Operational Human Remains K9: “Elvis”
NASAR SARTECH II
Tom Madison
Field Support Specialist, Search Planning Specialist
Chantal Gourlay
Steve Barden
K9-in-training: “Musket”
NASAR SARTECH II, NAPWDA,
GEMA Certified Air Scent K9 Team
Pat Rivera
Field Support Specialist
Keith Weisinger
Field Support Specialist
Tim Ward, Safety Officer
Field Support Specialist
Jimi Ellis
Field Support Specialist
Matt Frick
Field Support Specialist
Carter Abney
Field Support Specialist























