Kevin Johnson
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Senior Hazardous Materials Officer and Paramedic, FBI Hazardous Materials Operations Unit
Topic: Reality of Hazmat/WMD
Kevin W. Johnson is a Senior Hazardous Materials Officer and Paramedic with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Hazardous Materials Operations Unit, located in Quantico, Virginia. With over 30 years of public safety experience, he is responsible for the Hazmat Training, Certification & Accountability, Detection & Monitoring, and Dive programs for the HMOU. Mr. Johnson has responded to numerous domestic and international missions, including the Anthrax investigation, Ricin and WMD Chemical Labs, radiological crime scenes, the crashes of Flight 93 in Somerset, PA and Flight 587 in NYC, Hurricane Katrina, the Norfolk Southern Railroad derailment in Graniteville; and Special Events such as the Olympics in Athens, Greece and Salt Lake City. Mr. Johnson has represented HMOU on the Interagency Board for Equipment Standardization and Interoperability, and currently represents HMOU on the National Fire Protection Association's Hazardous Materials Response Personnel Committee, and the International Association of Fire Chief's Hazardous Materials Response Committee.
Prior to joining the FBI in 1999, Mr. Johnson served 16 years as an EMS provider with the Jefferson County Emergency Medical Service in Louisville, Kentucky, holding the positions of Paramedic Supervisor and Disaster Response Team leader, specializing in Hazardous Materials, Confined Space Rescue, and Rope Rescue. Additionally, Mr. Johnson concurrently served 12 years with the University of Louisville Hospital Trauma Center's STAT Flight & STATCARE aeromedical programs as a Flight Paramedic; 8 years with the Jefferson County Police Dive Rescue/Recovery Team as a Dive Rescue/Medic; 5 years with the Jefferson County Trench Rescue Team where he was a Trench Rescue Instructor; and volunteered for 23 years with Jefferson County Fire Departments, holding numerous positions including Captain. He has an associate's degree in Fire Science, a bachelor's degree in Occupational Training & Development, and was a certified Level II Fire Instructor in the State of Kentucky.