Training

Bios

Jo-Anne Roosen

Manager, Training Development

Jo-Anne Roosen is an experienced trainer with several years of expertise in the field of police training. Her leadership abilities in the development and implementation of policing programs lead to her current role as Manager Training Development at Commissionaires BC. Jo-Anne brings with her 15 years experience as a police officer and police trainer with the Justice Institute of BC. Jo-Anne has a proven track record of specialized training and instruction delivery in diverse areas.

Jo-Anne is proficient in the design and delivery of a variety of police training programs. As Manager of Police Training, Jo-Anne assumed responsibility for developing, implementing and managing contracts, policies, programs, staff and services. Jo-Anne’s experience as a program manager resulted in travel to the United Kingdom on behalf of the Justice Institute to collaborate with various agencies in police education and specifically Hydra simulation training. Jo-Anne is only one of a few individuals in North America familiar with this system as well as the development and delivery of this training.

Jo-Anne has been accepted into the Graduate Degree Program at the University of Victoria where she will study Educational Psychology and Leadership.

Gary Smith

Trainer

Gary Smith is currently the Manager of Training & Identification Services and is responsible for the overall training program with Commissionaires in BC. Gary’s well-organized work discipline has made him a highly respected senior staff member of the training department. He currently teaches Basic Security Training Level 1 and is qualified as a Canadian General Standards Board [CGSB] Supervisor Qualifying Course instructor.

Gary brings a great deal of experience and knowledge gained from his professional background. This includes a distinguished twenty-five year career with the Canadian Military, serving both in Canada and overseas. He held various leadership roles and completed his service as a Career Manager responsible for over 850 military personnel. He was awarded two medals as well as other notable awards for recognized achievements. When he left the military, he worked as an employment counsellor and trainer for five years with an organization that provided training and employment support for adults with disabilities.

Gary is an avid outdoorsman. He enjoys camping and has spent a number of years flying recreationally in his own aircraft, but has since replaced this hobby with motorcycle riding and painting.

Jim Foston

Trainer

Jim Foston is a dynamic and knowledgeable professional communicator and safety trainer. His career in security and public safety training and curriculum development has spanned almost three decades. Jim’s career began in the RCMP, where he was the first civilian member to manage and operate one of the busiest and largest communications centres of its kind in the RCMP. During his career with the RCMP, Jim was instrumental in the selection, training and deployment of hundreds of public safety communications [911] personnel during the 1987 Commonwealth Heads of Governments meeting in Vancouver and the 1988 G7 Economic Summit held in Toronto.

Jim’s experience in public safety operations and training led him to create and deliver the first 911 Public Safety Communications training program in Canada to prepare students for careers in emergency response communications. Jim first developed the program for Kwantlen University College over fifteen years ago and this program is still used today in colleges across Canada.

Jim has been a leader in security training and curriculum development since 1995. In the last decade, Jim has trained over 2000 students in security training alone. Facilitating the interests of government, the business community, educators and students, Jim developed and delivered award wining security training for the Open Learning Agency and Douglas College in BC, funded by the Ministry of Human Resources. The course had a 95% success rate among graduates, and a post-course employment rate of 85% in the first twelve months of completion.

Jim is currently the Chairperson for the Pacific region of the Canadian Society for Industrial Security and sits on numerous industry sector committees, including the Justice Institute of BC’s security curriculum revision committees, Canadian General Standards Board – Security Training Committee, and a BC Human Rights Coalition Committee. Jim has written for numerous industry and security publications and is currently in discussion with Canadian Security Magazine to become a regular contributor.

Jim holds Provincial Instructor and Adult Education Diplomas, in addition to numerous certifications in leadership and instructor training.

Robbie Robertson

Trainer

Robert Robertson is an experienced security professional, responsible for all training in the Southern Interior regional office of Commissionaires BC. Robert has trained hundreds of students since beginning security training instruction in 2003 and then moving into that role exclusively. The courses he teaches in Basic Security Training, levels 1 and 2, have a 98% success rate with a high level of employment success with Commissionaires and other security firm employees upon completion of the course.

Robert brings with him a high level of security expertise and knowledge gained from his distinguished thirty-year service in the RCMP. In the later part of his career there, Robert was a commander in charge of 55 personnel responsible for key intelligence investigations, and was a member of a joint operational force with local police and city officials in London, Ontario. In his years with the RCMP, his skills as a leader and instructor developed from his management of various units and personnel, both uniformed and civilian. In the early years of his career, Robert was assigned to VIP protection services and provided site and personal protection to royals and heads of states, such as Queen Elizabeth II, Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Ronald Regan.

Robert combines his talents as an instructor with his passions and hobbies. Robert was a boating safety instructor from 2002 to 2005, as part of the Power Squadron program, and he coaches youth basketball and youth hockey teams in his community.

Roger Harber

Training and Identification Services Officer

Roger Harber is a conscientious and knowledgeable professional with many years of military service and service with the Commissionaires behind him. His background includes 26 years with the Royal Canadian Air Force/Canadian Armed Forces. One of his most recognizable achievements was the drafting and implementation of administrative and technical directives for the training of squadron personnel [Loadmasters] in their new role as Search and Rescue responders for the C130 Hercules aircraft stationed out of Trenton, Ontario.

Roger’s tours of duty have included Air Movements Units, Mobile Air Movements, Tactical Air Movements, Radar Stations and United Nations duty in Damascus, Syria and he’ll admit his favourite posting was his last, 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron in Cold Lake, Alberta. That was where he was able to enjoy some hours flying in a CF-18 Hornet.

In his 11 years of service with the Commissionaires BC, Roger has worked tirelessly to maintain the integrity and principals of the organization. After various challenging positions within headquarters, including Site Supervisor and Assistant Manager Security Services, Roger is now the Training and Identification Services Officer.

Roger is certified in his Commissionaires Instructors Course. He is also certified to instruct BST 1 security training through the Justice Institute of BC, and is a certified trainer for the Tourism BC “SuperHost” Program.

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