Gabe Garcia

Gabriel "Gabe" Garcia -- USF SafetyFlorida Safety and Health Consultant

As a health and safety consultant for USF SafetyFlorida, Gabe performs site interventions/inspections focused on OSHA standards and best practices for workplace safety and health management systems. He develops and conducts programmatic training and evaluates safety and health program management activities for small, privately owned companies. These businesses rely on Gabe for technical support and hazard control assistance. In return, he provides the business owners with comprehensive reports outlining ways to improve and enhance safety and health management systems. Gabe assists clients in Spanish throughout the state. He also provides emergency management technical assistance in support of USF SafetyFlorida’s Hurriplanner.

Gabe’s previous positions as a civilian included Business Development Manager with Geoage Inc., Regional Emergency Response Advisor (Region VII) with the Florida Department of Health Office of Emergency Operations and as an Environmental Health and Safety Supervisor with the Miami Dade County Health Department.

After twenty four years of service in both active and reserve duty, Gabe retired in December 2004 from the US Air Force. He had participated in both campaigns in support of Desert Storm from Jan ‘91 to May ‘91 and in support of Enduring Freedom from April ‘03 - Dec ‘03. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Garcia achieved the rank of Senior Master Sergeant. He was the Superintendent for the Aerospace Medicine Section where he provided all the health and safety inspections at the base; and for his last five years in the military, he served as the Superintendent for the Disaster Preparedness Office.

Mr. Garcia’s experience includes assignments such as the Operations & Management Consultant (Acting Manager) Emergency Management Coordinator, Office of Emergency Management., and Administrative Officer for the US Public Health Services and the Hurricane Andrew Preventive Medicine Task Force.

Gabe has had logistical support roles in numerous full scale field exercises including the BioShield 03 & 04, Florida SNS Tabletop Exercise, Turkey Point Nuclear Power plant Exercise, Okaloosa Biological Field Exercise and many others. Additionally he has been involved in providing logistical support at actual events such as the Florida Anthrax Attack, Florida Fires (Daytona Beach), ValuJet Crash (Miami), Super bowl in Miami (as DMAT logistics). Gabe’s experience includes responding as a logistics officer to all Florida hurricanes and floods from 1985 until 2003, including Hurricanes Andrew, Charley, Frances and Jeanne in 2004.

While in public service as a first responder, Mr. Garcia was assigned to logistical functions with the Emergency Support Function # 8 Teams (Federal, State and Local Levels), South Florida Regional Security Domestic Task Force, Rapid Impact Assessment Team, State Emergency Response Team, Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT FL 5), and the Local Emergency Planning Committee. Additionally Mr. Garcia is trained in HazMat and Toxic Agent response and is a graduate of the US Army Chemical School.