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About the Instructors

Rob Speiden      Mike Hull        Al Cire

Whether it's specific applications of tracking, such as aging or tactics to follow tracks of a missing person, or just enjoying tracking for the sake of tracking and an increased awareness of the surroundings,  Rob, Mike and Al enjoy sharing what they have experienced and assisting others with their learning process.  Their main objective is to contribute the benefits of tracking skills to the community through education, search and rescue for missing persons, or any other venue.

ROB SPEIDEN is an active member of the Search and Rescue (SAR) community, and has been  since 1993.  After completing basic search and rescue training he went on to study human tracking from instructors in a variety of tracking-related disciplines including the following:


Greg Fuller,
Field Team Signcutter Virginia Department of Emergency Services 1996

Kent Hicks, Track & Sign Aging

Universal Tracking Services, Track Aware

Joel Hardin Professional Tracking Services Basic Tracker

William Bodziak, Footwear Impression Evidence: Detection and Recovery

David Scott-Donelan, Scott Donelan Tracking School

             Tactical Tracking Operations Level I

             Tactical Tracking Operations Level II

Charles Worsham, Nature and Vision School

             Camouflage

             Basic Human Tracking

             Advanced Human Tracking

             Awareness, Intuition and Aesthetics

 

Shadow Wolves Native Tracker Training

            Inaugural Tracker Training event 7/05

Please feel free to contact any of these instructors for references.

Rob has taught more than 3000 people in various outdoor skills.  He continues to receive the most valuable lessons from countless hours of dedicated tracking “dirt time” (and leaf time and snow time and…) on his own as well as in search and rescue training.  He is an active member of the following groups:

Southwest Virginia Mountain Rescue Group,

             Commonwealth Search and Rescue,

                          Black Diamond Search and Rescue Council,

                                    Angel Search and Rescue,

                                            Appalachian Professional Tracking Group,

                                                    1st Special Response Group, and the

                                                           International Society of Professional Trackers 

Rob is also an active member of the Search and Rescue Tracking Institute (SARTI), and currently holds positions as Operational Tracker, Training Officer, and Treasurer in SARTI.  As the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Field Team Signcutter Course Coordinator and through the tracking school, he currently instructs search and rescue volunteers and law enforcement officers in tracking and awareness skills that enhance search efforts for missing persons.  He has logged over 200 tasks on more than 110 documented search missions to date.

Recent recognitions have included being presented the Lisa J Hannon Award by the Virginia Search and Rescue Council in 2007 and being cast as a tracking team member in the Red Brick Entertainment TV show, “The Chase: Trackdown” aired on Court TV in 2005.


Animal Tracking

Rob Speiden began his tracking experiences while growing up on a farm in Orange County, Virginia.  He completed college with a bachelors degree in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech.  Tracking humans was a start for Rob to get interested in tracking all animals, and he has attended many animal tracking classes around the country taught by Paul Rezendes' Nature Programs, Charles Worsham's Nature and Vision School, Wilderness Awareness School (W.A.S.), Jim Bruchac, James Halfpenny and others.  Rob has been sharing and facilitating animal tracking experiences in classes held in Blacksburg, Virginia, and other venues such as 4-H and Boy Scout events, and National Wild Turkey Federation Jakes days.  Decades of outdoor familiarity, professional seminars and a strong desire to share with others are just a few of the qualities that come together to give you a worthwhile educational experience.  

Rob was recently tested on animal tracks/sign in Massachusetts and trailing in California by the cybertracker evaluation process and is certified according to Cybertracker standards as a Level III Tracker and as a Level III Track and Sign Interpreter.

 

MIKE HULL

Special Agent Mike Hull of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has just retired from Law Enforcement for 33 years.  He started his career at age 19 with the National Guard Military Police, three years with Virginia Department of Corrections, two years as a Security Officer for Virginia Power and twenty-seven years with VDGIF. The last four years Special Agent Hull has worked full time in special operations with the overt unit. Special Agent Hull first implemented a program that detailed the benefits of Visual Tracking to Law Enforcement (VITALE) in April of 1996.  He has since instructed on Visual Tracking at various criminal justice centers and in-service trainings for Local, State and Federal Officers.  Special Agent Hull has been distinguished as a Subject Matter Expert in Visual Tracking and Woodland Operations and is an adjunct Lead Instructor for Tactical Tracking.  You can visit Mike's website and business at http://www.vitalellc.com/.           

                                                "Tracking is a complex application of simplicities." - Mike Hull

AL CIRE

 

Al has been a Conservation Officer with the VA Dept. of Conservation & Recreation since 1989.  Currently serving as Operations Coordinator for the Division of Natural Heritage he manages Natural Area Preserves across western VA where he is able to apply tracking skills frequently. 

             

Al received a BS in Wildlife Conservation in 1984 from the University of MD.  His life long interest in tracking developed while growing up and hunting on Maryland’s eastern shore.  Al’s formal tracking education began in 1999 with VA Field Team Signcutter and has since included classes from:

Joel Hardin (Joel Hardin Professional Tracking Service),

    David Scott-Donelan (Tactical Tracking Operations School),

        William Bodziak (FBI, retired), and

            Charles Worsham (Nature & Vision Tracking School). 

Al has instructed numerous law enforcement officers in Firearms, Defensive Tactics and Tracking.  He has also served as a Field Team Signcutter assistant instructor and a volunteer instructor with VA Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries teaching Animal Tracking and Hunter Education.

Al is currently an active member of the Search and Rescue Tracking Institute and Commonwealth Search & Rescue. He trains with both groups regularly and participates in missing person searches.  Al was also cast as a tracking team member in the Red Brick Entertainment TV show, “The Chase: Trackdown” aired on Court TV in 2005.

 

CONTACT US BY: PHONE (866) 678-7225     EMAIL: trackingschool@yahoo.com

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