Meet the Founder:
Jerry L. Harper
President/CEO
Jerry L. Harper serves as President and founder of Community Safety & Security Consultants (CSSC) and oversees its core services of Safety and Security Operations, Personal Safety Services, as well as Occupational Health and Safety Services. Jerry received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Administration from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania prior to serving in the Persian Gulf War with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division. Jerry is a career security professional with more than 24 years of military and law enforcement experience. He currently holds the rank of Sergeant and serves as a Unit Supervisor with a large law enforcement agency in Pennsylvania. During his career, Jerry has been selected to provide safety and security at major events within Pennsylvania and has attended numerous training opportunities across the country as it pertains to the prevention and management of mass casualty incidents. He is also a certified instructor for Active Shooter Events and has a great interest in continuing to assist others with increasing life-safety.
Director of Safety Operations
Christopher C. Ott
Safety/Security Specialist
As Director of Safety Operations for CSSC, Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. He recently retired from the Pennsylvania State Police after 25 years of service while reaching the rank of Sergeant. His responsibilities have included Patrol, Executive Service-Dignitary Protection, Criminal Investigations, and Emergency Management Planning with the Domestic Security Section. Mr. Ott is a member of the Pennsylvania Incident Management Team and was the National Incident Management System Compliance Officer for the Pennsylvania State Police. Chris has received extensive training in the area of Active Shooter program development, and has presented to hundreds of individuals in the public and private sectors. Chris is passionate about educating and protecting the lives of individuals in all facets of our communities throughout the country.
Director of Security Operations
Derek A. Koch
Safety/Security Specialist
As Director of Security Operations for CSSC, Derek holds both a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and an Associates of Science degree in Business Administration from the Pennsylvania State University. Derek is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Command and Staff. Prior to becoming a police officer, Derek served as a county level probation officer and as a Lieutenant in the PA Army National Guard. Derek brings over 24 years of law enforcement experience in the areas of Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Special Operations. Derek spent over 14 years as a SWAT Team Operator, Training Officer, and Team Leader, and recently served as a Tactical Operations Section Commander. As part of his tactical team trainer duties, he played an active role in training the members of his department to respond to active shooter incidents in schools. He also has over 19 years of experience as a certified firearms instructor, and currently holds the rank of Captain with a large police department in Pennsylvania. Derek is passionate about educating and protecting the lives of members of his community as well as the members of communities across the country.
Michael J. Gerace
Safety/Security Consultant
Michael is a military and law enforcement professional with over 32 years of combined service. He currently holds the rank of Sergeant for a police agency in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Michael brings an array of experience and expertise to the CSSC team and has served as a K-9 Handler, Squad Leader - Special Emergency Response Team, Criminal Investigator, and Crime Scene Examiner. During his career, he has become a certified trainer/instructor on leadership tactics, K-9 handling, as well as B.L.S. and Stop the Bleed medical instruction. Michael continues to serve his community by participating and lecturing on topics related to active shooter incidents, as well as hostage rescue and high-risk situations. He is passionate and committed to continuing to protect and serve the citizens in his community and country against acts of violence.
Shawn M. Swarr
Personal Safety/Firearms Instructor
Shawn Swarr holds an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Harrisburg Area Community College. Shawn brings over 23 years of law enforcement experience in the areas of Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Criminal Intelligence. While working as an Intelligence Officer for his agency, he gathered and collected information on individuals who were considered to be a security threat to the public as well as to police officers. Shawn currently works in the capacity of a Training Instructor for a large police agency in Pennsylvania. His duties include training other police officers in the area of physical fitness and self-defense techniques. Shawn is dedicated to educating and protecting the lives of people in his community, as well as the communities throughout the country.
Ian M. Janos
Personal Safety/Firearms Instructor
Ian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the Pennsylvania State University and has dedicated over 10 years of combined military service in the United State Marine Corps and Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Ian also brings over thirteen years of law enforcement experience in the areas of Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Training and Education Instruction (both basic and advanced levels). He also has over 11 years of experience as a certified Firearms Instructor and holds certifications under the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and Sig Sauer Academy as a Master Pistol and Rifle Instructor. Ian currently holds the rank of Sergeant with a large police department in Pennsylvania where he serves as a Patrol Section Supervisor while also holding a secondary position as a Use of Force Instructor for his agency. He is passionate about educating and protecting the lives of members of his community as well as the members of communities across the country.
Scott Radabaugh
Personal Safety/Firearms Instructor
Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Charleston Southern University. Scott is a current Law Enforcement Officer and has over eleven years of law enforcement experience in the areas of Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Special Weapons and Tactics. While serving for five years on his Department’s SWAT team, he worked to become a Team Leader and Designated Marksman. Scott is a certified Firearms Instructor through the Pennsylvania State Police for multiple weapon systems and is currently assigned to the Criminal Investigations Unit within his agency. Scott has a passion for teaching and the transfer of knowledge to members of communities throughout the area.
James Trunfio
Personal Safety/Firearms Instructor
James Trunfio holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Jim brings over 16 years of law enforcement experience serving his time in two different states. He is recognized as an expert in the field of Motor Vehicle Collisions and is currently a Collision Reconstructionist for his department. He has been a firearms instructor for his department for over 7 years while responsible for training officers on weapon safety, principle marksmanship, and weapon techniques. Jim is an enthusiast shooter and a passionate instructor. His goal is to bestow his love and passion for firearms to others through proper safety and firearm handling techniques. “Education is the most powerful weapon we own”.
Ross A. Deck Jr.
Personal Health and Safety Consultant
Ross Deck, Jr. is a professional paramedic with over 33 years of experience in emergency services. He holds an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Health Sciences from Harrisburg Area Community College. He currently works as a staff medic for a rural EMS agency. His roles over the years have included EMT/Paramedic for urban, suburban, and rural services. For several years, he served as a paramedic supervisor for a large emergency services department while also serving his community as a volunteer firefighter. Ross currently serves as a medic on a regional S.W.A.T. team and has extensive training in mass casualty and active shooter events, especially in the area of casualty care and evacuation. He enjoys educating others and has taught everything from CPR/AED, Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support to EMT classes. Ross is happily married with two teenage boys, and feels it is his responsibility to pass along the knowledge he has gained over his career to others. By doing so, he hopes to empower and inspire others to do good work and be prepared for anything.
Audra King
Personal Safety Consultant
Audra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Organizational Management. She also dedicated 4 years of military service in the U.S. Army, and served as a Counter-intelligence Agent during Operation Iraqi Freedom where her primary job function was to gather human intelligence and counter surveillance. She obtained the rank of Sergeant as well as a Top Secret security clearance during her military career. Audra brings to the team her skills in psychological security and personal self-defense. She is a nationally certified Refuse To Be A Victim Instructor and is passionate about teaching safety awareness to all, especially women and children. In her spare time, she volunteers as a Cub Scout leader and loves traveling with her family.
Bill Millard
Safety and Risk Management Specialist
Bill has over fifteen (15) years of experience in Occupational Safety and Health and has managed Environmental Health and Safety for a facility of over 350 employees. In his previous positions, he was responsible for helping develop and modify safety procedures for several Pennsylvania agencies including the Pennsylvania State Police, Department of Corrections and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Bill has experience in overseeing Environmental Compliance, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reporting, Safety Data Sheet management, program development, and employee training including supervisor train-the-trainer instruction. Bill is well-organized and self-motivated and excels at helping management and employees understand the importance and application of workplace safety while building team leadership. To learn more about the entire CSSC team, visit our website at www.KeepingCommunitiesSafe.com
Kim A. Harper
Conference/Training Coordinator
Kim is CSSC’s co-founder, and a nursing professional of 30 years. She specializes in the coordination of events and training for CSSC, and also shares in the role of public relations and reputation management for the expanding company. She and Jerry have a blended family of 4 children together.