History
Garret J. Kaminskis, Owner/Founder
"I founded North American Safety Systems, LLC with the vision of culminating three decades of Fire & Rescue experience with my passion for Aviation, Special Operations Command, Technical Rescue, OSHA/MSHA Environmental Health and Safety Services. "
I began my journey in 1980 as a Firefighter/EMT with the Town of Mt Pleasant Fire Department (MPFD) located in Southeastern Wisconsin.
By 1985 I began teaching Wisconsin State Fire Service Certification programs for Gateway Technical College's (GTC) three county area. I met the owner/founder of Ropes and Rescue that same year. Ropes and Rescue was one of the first Authorized California Mountain Company (aka CMC Rescue) equipment dealers in country. This relationship evolved into GTC being the first technical college in the State to provide a comprehensive rope rescue technician level training program.
In 1986 I spent time with the City of Phoenix Fire Dept. Chief Alan Brunacini. Chief Brunacini impressed on me the need for continuous learning, customer service and the benefits of sharing ones hard life lessons openly so others can learn from them. His vision, leadership and communication style revolutionized the fire service's way of doing business across the country. His words still ring true today.
1988 was the year the pilot program for EPA's 165 Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Training arrived in Wisconsin. Within 12 months I was hired by Lake Shore Technical College (LTC) as a trainer.
By 1992 Occupational Health and Safety Administration announced that their 29 CFR 1910.146 Permit Required Confined Space Entry law would take effect the following year. I took this opportunity to contact the City of Phoenix Fire Department's to acquire their State of Arizona Fire Marshalls office Confined Space Entry & Rescue program and bring it to Wisconsin. To my delight Assistant Chief Steve Storment and Captain Tim Galligher flew to Wisconsin to certify four instructors at LTC during a seven day train-the-trainer course. This program became the industry standard. We invited instructors from throughout Wisconsin's Technical College System to be trained in these techniques.
Early in 1993 we studied with Virginia Beaches Tide-Water Rescue Team leaders Chase Sargent and Michael Brown at LTC whos military style training concepts influenced our hands-on drills for many years.
1994 I was approached as to whether I was interested in purchasing Ropes and Rescue. To get this accomplished I partnered with a colleague from a neighboring fire department. We worked together for ten years building Ropes and Rescue, Inc into the Midwest's most successful CMC Rescue equipment and training company. Ropes and Rescue instructional staff continued to grow in leaps and bounds. We traveled regionally teaching at fire schools, industrial complexes, fire & rescue departments, professional associations and a host of public forums. Our marketing phylosophy was to distribute promotional training literature over 25 of the 49 contiguous United States. We developed a mid-level dealer program that at one point exceeded 125 strong. These were exciting times only made possible by the support of our loyal customer base and suppliers.
1995 I became a Contractor Safety Trainer for S.C. Johnson's Wax based in Racine, WI. This relationship has refined my skill set in OSHA Annual Compliance training. I continue to work with them today.
1998 my partner and I approached CMC Rescue executive leadership group to become instructors for their rescue school. We took a two year factory based apprenticeship program and upon completion we became adjunct instructors. The next five years were filled with unbelievable opportunities traveling coast-to-coast working with leaders in our industry. This would not have been possible without the approval and support of President James A. Frank, School Director John McKently, Senior Lead Instructor Bruce Parker and their entire leadership team. I can't thank them enough for the opportunity they gave us. During this time we mastered Trench Shoring, Structural Collapse and Emergency Building Shoring techniques.
1999 I served briefly on the Executive Board for the Society of Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT) in Denver, CO in the early days with the owners of CMC Rescue, PMI Rope and Roco Rescue.
2001 attackes on the World Trade Center increased the demand for our services to an unimanagable level. During this time we opened regional schools in Minneapolis, MN, Milwaukee, WI and Rifle, CO to meet demand. Our instructional staff balooned to nearly 29 at its peak. The Nation was now on guard and we were working as hard as possible to prepare first responders for future attacks.
2002 was the year I founded North American Safety Systems, LLC to meet the need of the MSHA community.
In 2003 I was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief for MPFD. My duties included: B-Shift Platoon Commander, Special Operations, Fleet Maintenance and Environmental Health and Safety. I decided in 2004 to sell my half of Ropes and Rescue, Inc to my partner and I took time off to focus on family and my new duties at the fire department.
In 2007 I agreed to buy back Ropes and Rescue School from my former partner. The equipment business was sold off to a large fire service equipment vendor in Ft Atkinson, WI. Adding technical rescue disciplines to my cadre of OSHA and MSHA courses made for a perfect fit. Today my former partner is a Senior Lead Instructor for CMC Rescue School based in Santa Barbara, CA. A position he earned.
2008 was a big year. I was approached by a member of the Law Enforcement Aviation Coalition - AIR ONE Search & Rescue to hand pick a group of Firefighter/Paramedics from the Village of Mt Pleasant Fire Department to develop their new Air Rescue Specialist (ARS) program. The personnel were selected and training began for all of us. Over the past three years we have logged hundreds of hours of combined flight time performing mission critical duties. Today, the organization has formally changed to be known as AIR ONE Emergency Response Coalition. They now serve the entire State of Illinois as a member agency of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF). Go to: www.airsupport.org to learn more.
2009 the Mt Pleasant Fire Department merged with the Village of Strutevant Fire Department creating the South Shore Fire & Rescue Department. My rank then changed to Battion Chief with the same duties.
April 1st, 2011 with the support of my loving fiance' we decided it would serve me best to retire from the South Shore Fire Department and pursue North American Safety Systems, LLC full-time. So this is where we are today. With the added time I am expanding operations on all fronts.
Lastly, we will continue to push hard to meet the needs of our OSHA & MSHA industrial clients to keep their workers safe. As we move forward we will not forget all the people and organizations that made North American Safety Systems, LLC possible.
North American Safety Systems, LLC is a family owned and operated company.
More to come...
