Photo by Matt Daly

New York Newsday

Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) Indianapolis Indiana in 2004 - Joe has been an Instructor at FDIC since 1997

Joe Dibernardo teaching students how to use Para-Tech Rescue Struts - FDIC Indy 2004

Joe Dibernardo and his faithful sidekick Rescue.

Fire Department Experience:

Promoted to Lieutenant and Assigned to the FDNY Special Operations Command (SOC) May 10, 2005

• Assigned to Rescue Company 3, Oct. 2000 - May 10, 2005, City-Wide Collapse Rescue, Bronx N.Y.
• FDNY Technical Rescue School Instruct. June 1999 - Present
• Assigned to Squad Co. 61, Bronx N.Y., June 1998 - Nov. 2000
• Detailed to Engine Co. 238/ Foam, Oct. 1997 - June 1998, Tender Co. 1, Brooklyn N.Y.
• Detailed to Engine Co. 47, Harlem N.Y., Oct. 1996 - Oct. 1997
• Assigned to Ladder Co. 56, Bronx N.Y., Jan. 1996 - June 1998

Setauket Fire Department Active Member
June 1989 - Present

• Hook & Ladder Co.1 Captain, Jan. 2003 - Dec. 2003
• Setauket F.D. Technical Rescue Team, Jan. 1998 - Present, Leader & Training Officer
• Setauket F.D. Apparatus & Equipment, Jan. 1998 - Dec. 2000, Coordinator
• Setauket F.D. Safety Officer, Jan. 1998 - Dec.1998
• Setauket F.D. H&L Co.1 Lieutenant, Jan. 1996 - Dec. 1996
• Setauket F.D. Heavy Rescue Training, Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1998, Officer
• Setauket F.D. Probationary F.F. Instruct., May 1995 - Present
• Setauket F.D. Dispatcher, Aug. 1991 - Present

West Sayville Fire Department, Dispatcher
October 1990 - January 1993

New York City Fire Alarm Dispatcher
May 1993 - Oct. 1995
Dispatcher #356, Bronx Operations

Fire Service Instructor Certifications & Experience:
New York State S.F.I. (State Fire Instructor) Office of Fire Prevention & Control
Educational Methodology; N.Y.S.
Fire Service Instructor I; N.Y.S.
Fire Service Training Officer I; N.Y.S.
Radiation & Radiological Incidents & Monitoring Certified Instructor
Hazardous Materials Operations/Technician/C.P.C. Certified Instructor
Licensed N.Y.S. Adult Continuing Education Teacher, Feb. 2002
FDNY Technical Rescue School Instructor, 1999 - Present

Instructor - Heavy Rigging
Instructor - Structural Collapse & Emergency Shoring
Instructor - Trench Collapse
Instructor - Confined Space Rescue
Instructor - High Angle Rope Rescue

Suffolk County Fire Academy Instructor - 2002 - Present
Instructor in ALL Disciplines of Technical Rescue
Lead Instructor of Trench Collapse Rescue, Building Collapse Rescue, Emergency Shoring, Heavy Rigging

Whitehall Fire Department, Whitehall Ohio - April 2004
Collapse Rescue Instructor
Emergency Shoring Instructor
Heavy Rigging Instructor

Setauket Fire Department Training Officer, 1991 - Present
Technical Rescue Training Officer - 1995 - Present
Live Trench Collapse Training - August 2000
Live Trench Collapse Training - September 2003
Live Building Collapse Training - November 2004

FDIC East H.O.T. Instructor Structural Collapse Ops: 2004
FDIC West H.O.T. Instructor Structural Collapse Ops: 2003
FDIC H.O.T. Instructor Structural Collapse Ops: 2002,2003, 2004
FDIC H.O.T. Instructor Firefighter Survival: 1998,1999,2000,2001
Firehouse EXPO On the Road H.O.T. Instructor, Live Burn FF Survival - Norfolk Va. 2003
Firehouse EXPO H.O.T. Instructor Firefighter Survival: 2000,2001,2002

Emergency Shoring Experience:
Collapse of Occupied Parking Garage
Long Island NY - May 2000
Shoring Team Officer - Constructed Multiple Vertical Shores, Searched Multiple Voids

Construction Accident and Partial Collapse of an Occupied Multiple Dwelling
Manhattan NY - February 2001
Shoring Team - Constructed Multiple Vertical Shores

Gasoline Tanker Causes Collapse of Occupied Parking Garage
Queens NY - August 2001
Search & Shoring Teams - Searched Multiple Voids, Constructed Multiple Raker Shores

Vehicle Into Structure with Structural Failure
Long Island NY - April 2002
Rescue Operations Officer - Multiple Voids Searched, Vertical Shores Constructed, Window Shore Constructed

Trench Collapse
Long Island NY - August 2003
Rescue Operations Officer - Installed Multiple Trench Panels

Staten Island Ferry Terminal Crash
Staten Island NY - October 2003
Search & Shoring Teams - Constructed Multiple Two Post Vertical Shores, Constructed 6X6 Three Post Vertical Shore

Retaining Wall Collapse / Construction Accident
Queens NY - June 2004
Search & Shoring Teams - Constructed Multiple Split Sole Raker Shores

Vehicle Into Structure - Causing Failure of Bearing Wall
Bronx NY - September 2004
Search & Shoring Teams - Multiple Vertical Shores Constructed

Fire Department Certifications:
Hazardous Materials for Medical Personnel; FEMA Jan. 2003
Emergency Preparedness; FEMA, Jan. 2003
Basic Radiation; FEMA, Jan. 2003
Operations at Incidents involving Radiation; FEMA, Jan. 2003
Incident Command System; FEMA, Jan. 2003
N.Y.S. Advanced Trench Rescue, June 2002
N.Y.S./FDNY Class 'A' Heavy Vehicle License, Dec. 2002 (40 hrs.)
N.F.A. WMD & CW, April 2001 24 hrs.
Trench Collapse Ops; C.S.I., Aug. 2000 (24 hrs.)
Rescue Heavy Rigging Ops; N.Y.S., May 2000 (24 hrs.)
Heavy Rigging; Con Edison, Nov. 1999 (20 hrs.)
Heavy Rigging; Local 361, Nov. 1999 (40 hrs.)
Trench Collapse Ops; N.Y.S., Nov. 1999 (24 hrs.)
High Angle Rope Rescue Ops; F.D.N.Y., Sept. 1999 (40 hrs.)
New York State E.M.T. - D., June 1999
Building Collapse/Void Search Ops; F.D.N.Y., June 1999 (40 hrs.)
Confined Space Rescue Ops; F.D.N.Y., Mar. 1999 (40 hrs.)
N.F.A. Emerg. Resp. to Terrorism, Jan. 1999 (24 hrs.)
F.D.N.Y. Engine Company Chauffeur, Nov. 1998 (40 hrs.)
Rescue Technician; F.D.N.Y., Oct. 1998 (80 hrs)
Hazardous Materials Technician; E.P.A., July 1998 (45 hrs.)
Hazardous Materials Decontamination, July 1998 (10 hrs.)
Chemical Protective Clothing, July 1998 (10 hrs.)
Structural Collapse Operations; N.Y.S., May 1998 (8 hrs.)
Rescue Operations Level I; N.Y.S., April 1998 (24 hrs.)
Basic Rope
Rescue Operations Level II; N.Y.S., April 1998 (40 hrs)
Confined Space Rescue
Hazardous Materials Technician; N.Y.S., Feb. 1998 (24 hrs)
Rapid Intervention Teams; S.C.F.A., Mar. 1997 (8 hrs)
Back to Basics; S.C.F.A., Mar. 1997 (8 hrs)
New York City Fire Department, Jan. 1996
Probationary Firefighter School
Arson Investigation Awareness; F.D.N.Y., Jan. 1996
Peace Officer; N.Y.S., Jan. 1996
Basic Firefighter Training; N.Y.S., Jan. 1996
Tower Ladder Operations at Fires, Jan. 1996 (8 hrs)
Certified First Responder - D; N.Y.S., Jan. 1996
Hazardous Materials Operations; N.Y.S., Oct. 1995 (16 hrs)
Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Jan. 1995 (24 hrs)
National Academy of E.M.D.
Control & Extinguishment of L.P.G., July 1992 (8 hrs)
Fires; Brookhaven Town Fire Marshals
Vehicular Extrication & Heavy Rescue, Oct. 1991 (8 hrs)
Fire Mark Consultants
Hazardous Materials Awareness, July 1991 (6 hrs)
Basic Firefighter Training; S.C.F.A., Dec. 1989
Advanced Breathing & S.C.B.A.; S.C.F.A., Sep. 1989

Fire Department Awards & Accomplishments:

Speaker, Firefighter Safety & Survival Lecture - Prince George's County (MD) Fire/EMS Training Academy on July 17, 2006

Key-Note Speaker, 5th Annual Orlando Fire Conference, City of Orlando, Florida

F.D.N.Y. Pre-Hospital Save Award: For assisting in the successful reviving of an adult female in cardiac arrest on February 22, 1999.

F.D.N.Y. Unit Citation: Engine Co. 47: For operations during an All-Hands Fire on January 29, 1997 at 1295 Amsterdam Avenue, Harlem. Assisting in the removal of five children from the fire apartment.

Member of the Year 1990: Setauket Fire Department, H&L Co. 1

As the founding Setauket F.D. Safety Officer, responsible for writing and establishing the department F.A.S.T. Unit policy (rapid intervention).

As the founding Setauket F.D. Heavy Rescue Team Training Officer, was responsible for

• Creating a Technical Rescue Team
• The writing and establishing the departments Technical Rescue Team Standard Operating Procedure
• Establishing & Maintaining an Extensive Equipment Cache
• Reporting to a Special Operations Chief, while Delegating to three subordinate Team Managers
• Maintained Equipment & Training Records
• Establishing & Maintaining a Collapse Rescue Equipment Trailer
• Trained 24 members to the Operations Level in Six Disciplines (Rope Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, Trench Rescue, Building Collapse Rescue, Water Rescue, Vehicle & Machinery Extrication) of NFPA Standards 1670 & 1006 governing Technical Rescue
• Wrote Rescue Apparatus Specification for American Lafrance Fire Apparatus Rescue Vehicle
• Responsible for budgeting annual monies for Technical Rescue Training & Equipment.