Command Profiles
Chief Executive Officer (Commander)
Commander Kevin Snider began his volunteer career in fire and emergency services in 1990 starting with the Tri-Community Fire Department in Collegedale, Tennessee and later served as a Battalion Chief for the City of Piperton Fire Department in Piperton, Tennessee, Team Leader of its Technical Rescue Team, and a senior member of the City of Piperton Emergency Management Agency. Currently he serves on the Rossville Fire Department in Rossville, Tennessee and also serves as Commander of the Fayette County Technical Rescue Team. Mr. Snider has completed over 2000 hours of specialized training and/or received certifications in firefighting, emergency medical care (National Registry First Responder Level), incident command system and implementation, strategies and tactics for initial company operations, vehicle & machinery extrication, response to aircraft & airfield incidents, response to train and locomotive incidents, response to hazardous material incidents, radiological incident response, response to illicit drug labs & cyanide scenes, surface water rescue, flood rescue, swift water rescue, cold water & ice rescue, technical rope rescue & personal rope skills, tower rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse rescue, confined space rescue, urban as well as wilderness search & rescue, natural disaster & mass casualty response, terrorism & weapons of mass destruction response, dive rescue & recovery, large and small animal rescue including membership in the Tennessee Disaster Animal Response Team, severe weather spotting including certification from Skywarn, and many other advanced firefighting and rescue seminars and techniques. In addition, he is a TARS certified instructor for vehicle extrication, EVOC, BBP, and VKF. In 2011, he received FCTRT’s Distinquished Service Award for his work in an emergency swift water rescue that successfully rescued a local citizen. Mr. Snider is the founding attorney of Snider & Horner, PLLC and a licensed attorney in the State of Tennessee, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and Board Certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization and the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Executive Officer (Major)
Major Brandon Bagwell is the Team’s X.O. and has worked full time as a career emergency first responder for over 10 years. He started out his career driving ambulances and eventually became an EMT-IV. He worked on a 911 unit in Shelby County and participated in a number of special operations assignments for a number of years. He is currently employed as an Air Crash Firefighter. Mr. Bagwell also has 5 years experience working as a volunteer firefighter in Fayette County while he was with the City of Piperton. He eventually obtained the Rank of Captain with the City and was the assistant team leader for Piperton’s Technical Rescue Team. He is a Firefighter II and Fire Instructor and has obtained his ACI status for the Tennessee Fire and Codes Acadamey. He is also an Instructor for the American Heart Association and a TARS certified instructor for emergency vehicle driving (EVOC / VKF) as well as vehicle extrication. The Major holds a number of certifications in Fire, EMS and Rescue through a number of agencies. His focused areas of training are in EMS, Suppression, A.R.F.F. and Transportation Incidents, Hazmat, Trench Rescue, Rope Rescue, Extrication, Training and Education, Large Animal Rescue, and Command Functions. Mr. Bagwell attended the Marion Military Institute which is a junior college in Marion, Alabama, and is currently finishing his Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Service Administration at the University of Memphis.
Emergency Services Executive Liasion
Emergency Services Executive Liasion Sammy DeVore began his career in fire and emergency services in 1998 for the City of Rossville Fire Department in Rossville, Tennessee. He currently serves as the Fire Chief for the City of Rossville Fire Department and also serves as the City’s Fire Inspector and Fire Marshal. Officer DeVore has been extremely active in the fire and emergency services for over a decade and has completed hundreds of hours of specialized training and/or received certifications in firefighting, emergency medical care (First Responder), hazardous materials, incident command system and implementation, basic vehicle rescue and extrication, self contained breathing apparatus search and rescue, enhanced grant writing, arson detection and investigation, fire department pumper operations, emergency vehicle safety and operations and has attended many other firefighting, safety, and emergency operations classes, workshops, and seminars. In addition, he was named Assistant to the Commissioner of the Tennessee State Fire Marshal. Officer DeVore is the founder and owner of DeVore Communications and Cabling located in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
Medical Officer (Captain)
Captain Barbara Bagwell has worked full time in the EMS field since 2003. She spent a number of years as an EMT-IV working on a 911 Unit in Shelby County before going on to graduate from Southwest Tennessee Community College and becoming a Nationally Registered Paramedic. After obtaining her Tennessee Paramedic license she has served as a 911 Paramedic in Eads and Northaven in Shelby County, before transferring to work as a paramedic in Tipton County. Ms. Bagwell has also served as a volunteer in Fayette County beginning in early 2008. She worked for the City of Piperton Fire Department where she was promoted to EMS Lieutenant in early 2009. During her tenure with the Piperton Fire Department, Ms. Bagwell operated in the dual roles of a Medical and Safety Officer for the Piperton Technical Rescue Team. Ms. Bagwell maintains certifications from the American Heart Association for Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. She additionally has certifications from the International Trauma Life Support Association for both Advanced and Pediatric provider status. Along with her medical background, Captain Bagwell has obtained her Hazardous Materials Operations level certification from International Fire Service Accreditation Congress. Ms. Bagwell has also received additional training and/or certifications in the following areas: response to railroad and transportation incidents, large animal rescue, vehicle extrication, cyanide incidents, meth-lab awareness, trench rescue, wilderness search and rescue, incident command system and implementation, incident support functions and emergency incident rehabilitation.
Safety Officer (Captain)
Captain Christopher Bauer is the Team’s Safety Officer and has been in the field of EMS, Fire and Rescue for over 13 years. He began his career as an EMT working on a 911 ambulance for 3 years in rural Mississippi. He then went on to Northwest Mississippi Community College and received his Paramedic License and continued his service in northern Mississippi. He then moved back to Memphis, his place of birth, and continued his career as a Paramedic. While there he became an EVOC Driving Instructor as well as an American Heart Association CPR Instructor. After 5 years, he was hired by a mid-south fire department and has since become a Department Assistant Driver/Pumper Operator and a Fire Fighter III. On a state level, he became certified as a Fire Fighter II and Fire Instructor. He also has received specialized training in Hazmat and Equine rescue. Mr. Bauer is a certified Diver and has achieved Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy ACI Instructor status. He still works full time as a Paramedic/Fire fighter in the mid-south area and, in the past, has volunteered with the Piperton Volunteer Fire Department. While at Piperton, he advanced up the chain of command to the rank of Lieutenant, taught as a Fire and Rescue Instructor and was a senior member of the Department’s technical rescue team (TRT).
Logistics/Supply Officer (Lieutenant)
Logistics/Supply Officer Bill Hancock has been a resident of the mid-south for over 40 years and he has been heavily involved in the emergency services for over 20 years. He previously served in the United States Navy, serving as a Hospital Corpsman attached to the United States Marine Corps. In addition, he has been active in various emergency response organizations, most notably in the areas of fire service and emergency management. Lt. Hancock has extensive management and clinical experience in pulmonary medicine, in the medical industry, emergency medicine, and emergency medical preparedness which includes over 20 years as a clinical pediatric Respiratory Care Practitioner, 10 years as a pediatric flight therapist crew member (Pediflight), and over 20 years experience in the fire, EMS, and emergency management services. He served over 19 years on the Piperton Fire Department and over 8 years as the Deputy Director of the Piperton Emergency Management Agency. He is a registered respiratory therapist by the National Board for Respiratory Care, is a perinatal/pediatric specialist by the National Board for Respiratory Care, is a registered nurse in the State of Tennessee, and an emergency medical technician. In addition, he is a first responder instructor and holds voluminous certifications in the medical, hazardous materials, fire suppression, nuclear, bioterrorism and emergency preparedness fields. Lt. Hancock holds a Masters degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, an Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy, an Associate of Science as an Emergency Medical Technician, and is an active amateur radio operator holding an amateur extra class license. Lt. Hancock is currently employed as a registered nurse in the surgical intensive care unit at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee and also works for a local emergency management agency.
Training Officer (Captain)
Training Officer Brian Barron has been in the fire and emergency services for years and currently also volunteers as a Captain for the Rossville Fire Department. He is a TARS certified instructor in extrication, emergency vehicle operations (EVOC), and also in BBP and VKF. Capt. Barron holds numerous certifications in firefighting and rescue and has been extremely active with all aspects of FCTRT operations since the Team’s inception. Some areas of training include fire suppression, EMS (First Responder), incident command, trench rescue, structural collapse, hazardous materials (Operations), rural search and rescue, and all forms of vehicle extrication including Big Rig and School Bus.
Chaplain (Lieutenant)
Rev. Sammy Johnson is the Team’s Chaplain. He was born on October 3, 1960 and is a native of Moscow, Tennessee where he spent his childhood. Rev. Johnson has six brothers and three sisters and is a very devoted father to his son and daughter. At an early age, Rev. Johnson decided to give his life over to Christ and in 1994, he became a minister. While Rev. Johnson was enjoying his new lifestyle serving the Lord, he was attending the New Heaven Baptist Church in Piperton, Tennessee where he later became the associate minister. Rev. Johnson has now been serving and worshiping there for several years and he has many roles throughout the church and one of them is to teach the Sunday school class for the adult congregation. In addition, Rev. Johnson routinely goes out into the public to visit the sick and disabled people throughout the community. In addition to being a minister, Rev. Johnson is also a tonsorial artist at Greg’s Barber Shop in Rossville, Tennessee. Rev. Johnson has been in hair shows where he has won numerous awards and also received several awards of excellence. In his free time, Rev. Johnson enjoys cooking and baking for families and friends. Rev. Johnson’s role as Chaplain includes comforting victims and families in time of need, counseling survivors and our members who have been involved in critical incidents, and assisting in numerous other capacities and roles during Team operations. He is very excited and honored to be the Team’s first Chaplain and looks forward to serving the Team’s activities in the mid-south area.
For all emergencies please call 911 as all requests for a FCTRT response must be from the on scene incident commander of the authority having jurisdiction.
Technical rescue and emergency response are inherently dangerous activities requiring proper training and the appropriate equipment as well as the use of extreme caution at all times. Do not attempt to duplicate the activities performed by the FCTRT and/or depicted herein. Failure to do so could result in serious injury or death.