Instructor Bios
Mark van der Feyst – mark@firestartraining.com
Mark van der Feyst began his career in the fire service back in 1998 with the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company, Station 21 in Pennsylvania. Mark served as a Firefighter and Training Officer for a period of four years. From there he joined the Mississauga Fire & Emergency Services, Canada where he served for three years as a Firefighter and Shift Medical Instructor. Currently Mark works for the City of Woodstock Fire Department. Mark had been assigned to the Training Division where he was the Division Captain for four years, now he is back in the Suppression Division. Before joining the fire service, he was a design engineer for SimplexGrinnell for five years.
Mark graduated from Seneca College of Applied and Technologies as a Fire Protection Engineering Technologist. Mark is a graduate from the Justice Institute of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Fire and Life Safety Studies. He is also enrolled at the University of Cincinnati working on his Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire and Life Safety Engineering.
Mark is an international instructor teaching in both Canada and the United States. Mark is a Suppression Instructor for the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, the Allegheny County Fire Academy, Butler County Fire Academy and Mercyhurst Public Safety Institute in Pennsylvania. He has taught at Seneca College and Humber College for their Pre Service Firefighting program. He also hosts a number of regional county training schools in South Western Ontario instructing in Truck Company Operations, Engine Company Operations, FF Survival, RIT, Acquired Structures and Fixed facility live burns, flashover training, pump operations, emergency vehicle operations course, haz mat operations, fire officer programs and Firefighter 1 & 2.
His certifications are as follows: (IFSAC & ProBoard)
NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level II
NFPA 1041 Fire Service Instructor Level III
NFPA 1021 Fire Officer Level IV
NFPA 1521 Incident Safety Officer, Fire Suppression
NFPA 1521 Health & Safety Officer
NFPA 472 Hazardous Materials Technician
NFPA 472 Hazardous Materials Incidents – Commander Level
NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist
NFPA 1006 General Rescue Technician
NFPA 1006 Confined Space Rescue Technician
Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office Certifications:
OFM Career Firefighter
OFM Company Officer
OFM Training Officer
Eric Wissner
Eric Wissner is a career fire fighter for the Allegheny County Fire Department at the Pittsburgh
International Airport. Eric began his career at the airport in November of 2007 and is one of the staff instructors at their training facility training fire fighters in Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) and structural classes.
Eric is also involved on the Volunteer side of Fire fighting where he currently holds the position of fire Chief at the Perrysville Volunteer Fire Company just north of the city of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. He has been a fire fighter for Perrysville since 1986 starting at the age of 16. He has been an officer at Perrysville for over 18 years working his way up through the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief and into his current office. He oversees the training at Perrysville taking on the responsibility of maintaining the crews high standards of education, training and safety.
Eric is a Pennsylvania State Suppression Instructor and is nationally certified as Fire fighter 2, Fire Officer 1, Fire Instructor 1 and Airport Fire Fighter.
Darren Neff
Matthew D Wehrle
Matt Wehrle serves on the Grey Highlands Fire and Emergency Services as District Chief and Training Officer of Station 1. He has been a member of the volunteer department since 2001.
Aside from being active as a suppression officer, he also participates in the training and development of the department, as well as recruit selection, training and testing.
Matt is certified NFPA 1001, Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office Training Officer and Company Officer.
He is currently working for the Department of National Defence, Canadian Forces Fire and CBRN Academy located at Base Borden as an Instructor for structural firefighting.
Craig Cunningham
Craig has been a full-time firefighter for 13 years with Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services. He was an Acting Captain in suppression before transferring to the Training Division where he currently works as a Training Officer. His responsibilities mostly involve the Technical Rescue programs. His background includes Rope Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, Trench Rescue, Firefighter Survival, Pump Operations, Driver Training, Aerial Operations, Incident Safety Officer and Haz-Mat. He also has nine years experience as a volunteer which included fire-fighter, Captain and a trainer.
Fred Gillespie
Fred Gillespie has over 20 years of emergency service experience. Becoming an emergency medical technician in 1987, he worked for a private ambulance service and was a volunteer firefighter for 10 years. Fred continues to work part time in the emergency communications field, dispatching police, fire, ems and air medical helicopter units. Fred currently is a career firefighter with the city of Erie fire department in Pennsylvania. He is a Captain assigned to Tower 1/ Engine 12. Fred is certified as an EMT, FFII, Fire Instructor 1, Basic Vehicle Rescue, Member of Erie Fire Depts Scuba Dive team and Pennsylvania State Fire Academy Local Level Supression Instructor.
Darin Beckes
Darin Beckes started his fire service career with the United States Air Force in 1997. He was stationed in Alaska for 4 years but decided to get out and continue his fire service career back in Erie. Darin was hired by the City of Erie Bureau of Fire in 2002. He is currently assigned to Engine/Rescue Company 8. Darin is certified as a FF1, FF2, Hazmat Operations, Fire Instructor 1 and 2, Fire Inspector 1, Fire Officer 1 and 2, Airport Rescue Fire Fighter, Advance Rescue Diver and others.
Darin keeps busy teaching with the local departments. He is also an Assistant Chief in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. With all the teaching, and Guard duties Darin does manage a lot of time for his wife, son and dogs.
Darin has been certified as a Pennsylvania Suppression instructor. He has taught many classes including Truck Company Ops, Engine Company Ops, Firefighter Survival, Delmar Essentials, Pumps and others.
Wendel Taylor
Fire Protection Specialist 1
New York State Department of State
Office of Fire Protection and Control
Presently assigned to the New York State Academy of Fire Science in Montour Falls
Serving as the Program Coordinator for Recruit Fire Fighter Training
Thirty Years Fire Service experience
Married to Buffalo Fire Fighter Celina Strnad-Taylor, Father of Steve, Billy and Jack
12 years as a Chief Officer with 6 years as the chief of Newton Abbott Fire Company, Hamburg New York
Presently Training Officer for the Scranton Volunteer Fire Company, Hamburg New York
“HOT” Instructor for the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs
(Thermal Imaging for the Fire Ground)
“Still learning”
Tim Llewellyn
A third generation firefighter, Tim Llewellyn has served as a volunteer firefighter for 19 years, starting as a junior fireman in 1989 at age 14 with the Industry VFD in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. While in Industry, he served the Department as firefighter, 2nd and 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Captain and Training Officer, as well as various business offices, including President of the Department. While pursuing his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at California University of Pennsylvania, Tim became the first ‘College Member’ of the California VFD in 1999; a successful program that allows University students, who remain in good standing with their home departments, to become active suppression members of Station 23. Currently, he is a member of the Cranberry Township Vol. Fire Company, in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Appointed to the position of Training Officer in January 2008, one of his many responsibilities include developing and administering a high quality, real world training environment for this busy, 65+ member volunteer organization. Tim holds ProBoard certifications in Firefighter I & II and Fire Instructor I and has been a member of the Pittsburgh Metro ‘Steel City’ FOOLS since 2006. Tim is employed as a Physical Therapist Assistant in a long term care nursing facility in Coraopolis, PA. He and his wife, Natalie, live in Mars with their energetic Rottweiler, Diesel.
Brian Kovac
Brian Kovac has served as a firefighter for 16 years with Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company in Butler County, Pennsylvania. He joined the department as a junior at the age of 16.
Brian has served the positions of Lieutenant, Captain, and is currently the Assistant Chief in Cranberry Township. He holds certificates in Firefighter I, Firefighter II, and Fire Instructor I. Brian is also currently a Pennsylvania State Fire Instructor.
Brian has been a member of the Pittsburgh Sprinkler fitters Union Local 542 since 1996 and is currently employed by Grunau Fire Protection Co. He has served as a service technician with the Company for the past ten years.
David Mack
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David M Mack. Sr. has served as a volunteer fire fighter for 13 years, starting in 1986 with Kutztown Volunteer Fire Company in Berks County, Pennsylvania. While with Kutztown he served as a fire fighter and held the position of Treasurer of the Truck Crew. After a 10 year break in service, David joined the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company in Butler County, Pennsylvania in August of 1999. He is very active with the company and has served as 2nd Lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant and the Junior Fire Fighter coordinator. He is currently a Fire Fighter and Driver. David holds Pro Board Certifications in Fire Fighter I, Fire Fighter II, and Fire Instructor I. He is also currently a PA State Fire Instructor.
John Stephansky
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