Emergency management, life safety, and preparedness training for hospitals, healthcare coalitions, employers, and industries nationwide
Vantage Point Consulting is an Indianapolis-based emergency management, safety, and security training firm founded in 2015. Our trainers are active and retired police officers, fire chiefs, HazMat technicians, paramedics, and certified safety professionals, each with at least ten years in the field and more than 2,000 exercises between them. We train hospitals, healthcare coalitions, public health departments, first responders, schools, churches, manufacturers, and local governments on-site, online, and through tabletop exercises.
Watch “What you do in training is what you do in real life”: VPC instructors running hands-on drills, HazMat decontamination, and incident command courses with hospitals and first responders.
Clients and results
Named clients, measurable outcomes, and the full case study behind each one.
Fairbanks Recovery Center
Addiction treatment · Indianapolis
A VPC Life Safety Audit saves the facility about 16 staff hours a month and roughly $160,000 a year in work and avoided fines.
Read the Fairbanks Recovery Center case study →
Union Health
Health system · Terre Haute
Its incident command team ran 14-hour days through the COVID-19 pandemic on plans and exercises built with VPC.
Read the Union Health case study →
Hydrite Chemical
Chemical manufacturing
Expanded OSHA safety training with hands-on plant walk-throughs led by VPC instructors.
Read the Hydrite Chemical case study →
Wills Eye Hospital
Specialty hospital · Philadelphia
De-escalation and workplace violence training for staff and leadership at a busy urban eye hospital.
Read the Wills Eye Hospital case study →
Indiana Federation of Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Ambulatory surgery
A multi-year partnership that prepared member centers for emergencies, Joint Commission surveys, and COVID-19.
Read the Indiana Federation of Ambulatory Surgery Centers case study →
Vision Surgical Center
Surgery center · Jeffersonville
VPC Safety Check audits reduced the center’s building inspection risk.
Read the Vision Surgical Center case study →
Steuben County Health Department
Public health
Outside staffing and logistics for county COVID-19 testing sites.
Read the Steuben County Health Department case study →
Indiana Healthcare Coalitions
Healthcare coalitions · Districts 3, 6, 7 and 10
A region-wide record-snowfall exercise that brought public health and healthcare providers into one drill, now a model for other districts.
Read the Indiana Healthcare Coalitions case study →Other organizations VPC has trained or planned for include Indiana Spine Hospital, Immaculate Heart of Mary school, Indiana Healthcare Coalition Districts 3, 6, 7, 9, and 10, the Western Kentucky Healthcare Coalition, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Coalition, the Nebraska Plains Healthcare Coalition, the Delaware County Local Emergency Planning Committee, Lawrence County’s hazard mitigation planning team, and hundreds of churches, schools, hospitals, and companies across the Midwest.
Vantage Point Consulting at a glance
2015
Founded in Indianapolis
Headquartered in Indianapolis and serving all of Indiana, the Midwest, and global training online.
10+
Years in the field, per trainer
Every VPC instructor has at least ten years of law enforcement, fire, EMS, HazMat, or occupational safety experience.
10+
States with on-site training
Delivered in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, and Nebraska, with virtual courses across the U.S.
2,000+
Exercises conducted
More than 2,000 drills, courses, and tabletop exercises as a team. Registered federal contractor: DUNS 079963669, CAGE code 4Y6G6.
Upcoming safety and certification trainings and courses
Vantage Point runs public and private courses online and in person throughout the year, including monthly virtual Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) classes and CHEP, CHSP, CEDP, and CHFSP certification prep sessions. Most on-site trainings happen in Indiana and around the Midwest. A growing number of trainings, like active threat awareness and Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional certifications are held across the U.S..
Courses, drills, certifications, and planning services
Every course is taught by a working or retired responder, on-site, virtually, or hybrid. VPC runs courses in your facility, at its central Indiana training location, or online, plus tabletop, functional, and full-scale exercises.
Hospitals and healthcare
- Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced
- Hospital Incident Management Team (HIMT) and ICS position-specific courses
- Core, Basic, and Advanced Disaster Life Support (CDLS, BDLS, ADLS)
- Exam prep for CHEP, CHSP, CEDP, and CHFSP certifications
- Hospital Command Center review and design, Emergency Operations Plan audits, healthcare COOP, and Healthcare Coalition exercises
Security and threat awareness
- Active threat and active shooter awareness training and live drills
- Workplace violence, aggression management, and de-escalation training
- Physical security risk assessments and security camera placement reviews
- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
- Cybersecurity tabletop exercises, THIRA, and Hazard Vulnerability Assessments
OSHA, HazMat, and workplace safety
- OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour General Industry certification
- 24-hour and 40-hour HAZWOPER plus the 8-hour refresher
- 4-, 8-, and 16-hour First Receiver and First Responder HazMat courses, now with SYGNAL gas meter simulation
- OSHA 7105 evacuation plan review and drills, Interim Life Safety Measures audits, and fire code consulting
- VPC Safety Check recurring audits, CPR/AED/First Aid, and expert witness testimony
Planning, certifications, and consulting
- FEMA-ready Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans for counties, municipalities, schools, and utilities
- Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans for businesses and healthcare facilities
- Emergency Operations Plan writing and emergency preparedness staffing for health departments
- Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)
- Incident command for municipal employees, leadership training, and SWOT strategic planning
Industries we serve
Nine sectors make up most of VPC’s work. Each gets courses and exercises built around its own regulations, facilities, and risks.
Hospitals and health systems
HICS, HIMT, disaster life support, command center design, Joint Commission readiness, and cyber exercises.
Ambulatory surgical centers
Emergency plans, fit testing, life safety audits, and VPC Safety Check for stand-alone surgery centers.
Healthcare coalitions and public health
Regional exercises, HSEEP-consistent drills, plan reviews, and preparedness staffing for districts and county health departments.
Fire departments and HazMat teams
HazMat Operations and Technician courses, HAZWOPER, and SYGNAL-enhanced gas meter training.
Law enforcement and security teams
Active threat response, firearms-instructor-led drills, physical security assessments, and CPTED.
Schools, universities, and churches
Active threat awareness, lockdown drills, de-escalation, and written Active Threat Emergency Plans.
Manufacturing and chemical industry
OSHA 10 and 30, HAZWOPER, lockout/tagout, confined space, and RCRA audits and training.
County and municipal government
Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans, Emergency Operations Plans, LEPC tabletop exercises, and ICS for public employees.
Behavioral health and long-term care
Life safety audits, workplace violence prevention, and continuity planning for residential facilities.
Where we work
VPC is based in Indianapolis and trains at client sites across Indiana and the Midwest, with on-site work completed in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, and Nebraska. Virtual and hybrid courses, including monthly BDLS classes and IBFCSM certification prep, are open to students anywhere in the United States.
Headquarters, Indianapolis On-site training delivered
Credentials, affiliations, and recognition
Written out in full so you can check them. Meet the people behind each one on the staff and trainers page.
Credentials held by VPC trainers
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
- Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP)
- Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional (CHEP)
- Certified Emergency Disaster Professional (CEDP)
- Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM)
- Hazardous Materials Technician
- OSHA Outreach Instructor
- HSEEP-certified exercise trainers
- NFPA Fire Officer IV and Fire Instructor II/III
- All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT)
- FBI National Academy graduate
- Indiana Law Enforcement Academy firearms instructor
- National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer
- FEMA Indiana Task Force 1 HazMat Specialist
- NFPA Hazardous Materials technical committee principal member
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructor
Affiliations and partners
- Exam prep provider for the International Board for Certification of Safety Managers (IBFCSM): CHEP, CHSP, CEDP, and CHFSP. VPC is the only Midwest organization offering live and virtual prep for these exams.
- National Disaster Life Support Foundation (NDLSF) courses: CDLS, BDLS, and ADLS
- International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) curriculum for CISM and group crisis intervention
- Member, Indiana Chamber of Commerce and National Small Business Association
- Member, Indiana Rural Health Association
- Training partner to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and Indiana healthcare coalition districts
Recognition
- VPC instructors have presented at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC), the IAFC International Hazardous Materials Conference, and The Hot Zone.
- Publisher of the annual Emergency, Health, and Safety Professional industry survey since 2019.
- Leadership includes a 24-year police major, a career fire chief with 30 years in emergency management, and a Certified Safety Professional with 30 years in manufacturing and healthcare safety.
- Safety Branch Director Bill Wallace serves as a neutral expert witness in workplace safety and OSHA cases anywhere in the United States.
Questions buyers ask before hiring VPC
How does Vantage Point price training and consulting?
Pricing is custom and quote-based for on-site training, drills, audits, and plans. Public certification courses such as virtual BDLS and CHEP prep are sold per seat through the course calendar. Standard business payment methods are accepted, and there is no proprietary software platform or long-term contract required.
How long does a typical engagement take?
Training engagements run one to three days. Drills and exercises take 30 to 90 days from planning to after-action report. Consulting projects such as Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans or Emergency Operations Plans take several weeks to two or three months.
Where does VPC train, and do you travel?
VPC is headquartered in Indianapolis and trains in your facility, at its central Indiana training location, or online. On-site courses have been delivered in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, and Nebraska. Virtual courses are open nationwide.
Which certifications can my team earn or prepare for?
CHEP, CHSP, CEDP, and CHFSP exam prep (IBFCSM); Core, Basic, and Advanced Disaster Life Support (NDLSF); OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour General Industry; 24-hour and 40-hour HAZWOPER and the 8-hour refresher; HazMat Operations and Technician; CPR, AED, and First Aid; CISM; and CERC.
Who actually teaches the courses?
Working and retired responders. President Troy Jester is a CHSP, CHEP, HazMat Technician, and NFPA Fire Officer IV. Vice President Dwight Frost is a 24-year police major and FBI National Academy graduate. HazMat Branch Director Jamey Burrows is a career fire chief with 30 years in emergency management. Safety Branch Director Bill Wallace is a Certified Safety Professional and CHMM. Every instructor has at least ten years in the field.
Can VPC work with government agencies, coalitions, and grant-funded programs?
Yes. VPC holds DUNS number 079963669 and CAGE code 4Y6G6, writes FEMA-aligned Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans, designs HSEEP-consistent exercises, and delivers contracted courses for Indiana healthcare coalition districts, county health departments, and Local Emergency Planning Committees.
What formats are available?
In-person classroom and hands-on training, virtual instructor-led sessions, hybrid courses, tabletop exercises, functional and full-scale drills, written plans and policies, audits, and after-action reports. HazMat courses can use the SYGNAL app to turn each student’s phone into a simulated gas meter.
Recent news, updates, guides, and case studies
Attachments and spotting malware
February 8, 2022
The days of sending and receiving viruses—literal virus files designed to spread across your computer—aren’t dead, but for most people it’s unlikely. Most built-in systems are very good at detecting threats. But it is still possible. Here are two file attachments. Which one seems okay to you? The one on the right has a period (.)
Use a junk-only forwarder to handle email spam
February 8, 2022
If you use Gmail or Google-based email (like Google Apps for Business or Education), you can adjust your email address to anything with a + sign. If your email is [email protected] You can write your address in any format or message as [email protected]. In this example, if you signed up for an account at Lowes
How to have good password hygiene
February 8, 2022
Truth be told, your grandmother’s strategy of writing down all her different passwords on a post-it note might be a better strategy than having one password you use everywhere. At least grandma had multiple passwords! Password hygiene—the act of doing a little upkeep and keeping things neat and tidy—really only requires the use of a
Understanding public WiFi networks and encryption
February 8, 2022
When you log on to a public WiFi network, the information between your computer or phone and the network antennas around you is unencrypted. Meaning it’s as freely available in the air to “overhear” as if you were conversing at normal volume to someone a few feet away from you at Starbucks. You wouldn’t loudly
How one Central Indiana Health Dept. trains HazMat crews with less work
January 17, 2022
See first hand how VPC trainers assist large Central Indiana health and fire departments with HazMat training while achieving a 90% pass rate for first-time test takers.
How a strong partnership helped the Indiana Federation of Ambulatory Surgery Centers prepare its members for emergencies, COVID-19, and more
January 10, 2022
Not long before COVID-19 sent hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers scrambling for staff and supplies, VPC and IFASC embarked on a years-long plan to prepare for such an event. Here’s how it worked.
What it’s like working with Vantage Point
“Vantage Point really doesn’t want us to fail. They give us a lot of information and resources prior to [training].”
Healthcare coalition training participant
When you hire Vantage Point Consulting, the instructor who scopes your course is the one who teaches it. Each trainer has at least ten years in law enforcement, fire, EMS, HazMat, or occupational safety, and the team has run more than 2,000 exercises since 2015.
Or call 844-982-6824.
