Chair of WRO, Paul Schroeder is an experienced manager with a demonstrated history of working in the government administration field. Skilled in government, emergency services, public safety, emergency management and leadership. He leads as the General Director of the Luxembourg Fire & Rescue Corps (Corps grand-ducal d’incendie et de secours – CGDIS), 1000 full-time and 4000 volunteer staff in the delivery of rescue and emergency services for the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. Paul is one of the main architects of the overarching reform of the Luxembourg rescue services that started in 2009. In charge, at that time, of the Rescue services department within the Ministry of Interior, Paul steered the reform process by achieving multi-stakeholder consensus on major transformational issues. Prior to his appointment as Director of the Luxembourg rescue services, Paul was the General Coordinator of the Ministry of Interior where he officiated as a political and legal advisor of the Minister of Interior. Paul has a master’s degree in crisis management from Institut national des hautes études de la sécurité et de la justice in Paris, a master’s degree in mediation from Kurt Bösch Institute, Switzerland, as well as a LL.M in public international law from Leiden University, The Netherlands. He studied four years administrative law and public international law in Aix-en-Provence, France. Paul Schroeder started his career as a volunteer firefighter and rescue worker in 1985. He was deputy fire chief of the volunteer fire brigade of Junglinster from 2000 to 2014, deputy chief of the civil protection unit of Junglinster from 1998 to 2007 and chief of the same unit from 2007 to 2008 until his appointment at the Ministry of Interior. In 2006 he organized the first Rescue Challenge in Luxembourg and co-founded the Luxembourg Rescue Organisation (LRO) in 2007 which he chaired from its foundation until 2018. He has been Vice-Chair of the WRO since October 2015. He succeeded Dan Zinge as the Chair of WRO on the 1st of January 2000.
Deputy Chair of WRO, Dan Quin
Dan Quin is the Executive Director of Community Protection and Emergencies (Chief Fire Officer) at Surrey County Council and Fire & Rescue Service – this means his leadership also stretches to Trading Standards, Safer Communities and wider emergencies. He has served his entire career with the service, joining as a firefighter in 1999. He also offers his expertise as Chair of Surrey’s Local Resilience Forum.
Dan is also the Vice-Chair of the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation, volunteering his efforts since 2006, and the National Fire Chief Council’s lead for Road Safety and Road Rescue.
Vice Chair of WRO, Michael Gahan is a Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer with Wicklow County Fire Service, Ireland. Based at the Headquarters Station in Bray, Co. Wicklow, Michael has responsibility for the Strategic Management and Operational activities of the service, reporting to the Chief Fire Officer.He has over 20 years Managerial, Technical and Operational experience and provides strategic leadership and support to each of the brigades across the county. Other responsibilities include the safety, health and welfare of staff; the Management of Capital and Expenditure budgets; the Development and Co-ordination of the Training Centre and Training Programmes to meet identified needs of the service.He has also being involved in European Civil Protection for a number of years, he is an operational officer within his brigade rostered on call to respond and manage incidents while on duty. Michael started in the service as a retained fire-fighter in 2001 and is now a brigade instructor in a number of disciplines. He developed a keen interest in the challenge concept, beginning in 2005 when competing with Carlow Fire and Rescue Service in Northern Ireland and Scotland and attended his first World Rescue Challenge in South Africa in 2006. He went on to join Rescue Organisation Ireland in 2008 and is currently their Director of Operations; Michael became the WRO Head Assessor in 2015 having assessed at all previous World Rescue Challenges since 2010.Michael is committed to the role as Vice Chair of WRO and is looking forward to help implement the strategic business plan, specifically overseeing the implementation of updated organisational structure, implementing an equality process and providing support to Executive and Member Organisations.
WRO Secretary –Declan Cassidy
Declan began his WRO journey back in 2010 as a Shadow assessor for ROI at the WRC 2010, Cork, Ireland. From then he progressed as an international assessor, attending other member organisations events and WRC’s. In 2012 , he was elected to the WRO executive committee in the treasurer’s role and was subsequently re-elected on several occasions right up to the AGM of 2024 where he put his name forward for the post of WRO Secretary following the stepping down of the WRO Secretary of 20+ years, WRO stalwart , Cameron Black.
Declan and Cameron had worked closely within the WRO, not just in the day to day running of the WRO but also as representatives of the WRO at the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration [UNRSC] and the Global Road Safety Partnership [GRSP] among various other projects.
As a result of the votes at the AGM, Declan became the new WRO Secretary handing over the mantle of the treasurer to the newly elected Joffrey Amorison from France.
Declan has over 26 years’ experience in the fire service and is a Station Officer with Meath County Council Fire & Rescue Service in Ireland. He is also the treasurer and Extrication lead for Rescue Organisation Ireland [ROI].
Special advisor and 2nd Vice-Chair of the WRO, Cameron Black served as an operational officer within Strathclyde Fire and Rescue SFR and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service SFRS. During his 37 years as a uniformed officer he undertook a number of significant roles some of which included a secondment to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Fire Service to look at, and report on, Fairness and Equality within the Fire Services in Scotland, he was asked to set up RTC Training Development within SFR and was project manager for the new SFR training Centre complex. As a senior officer Cameron attended many significant incidents including transport incidents such as RTC’s, aircraft and ships and undertook operational roles such as Incident Commander, Operations Commander, HazMat Officer, Operational Review and H&S Officer. In 1996, Cameron joined, what is now, the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation UKRO where he became a national and international assessor. He developed and lead the UKRO’s International Development Programme IDP and the UKRO’s Organisational Development, Marketing and Communications Directorate, he is now a Trustee on the UKRO Board and now the Director of UKRO Global. In 1999 Cameron attended the inaugural meeting of what is now the WRO and was appointed Secretary of the then World Council of Rescue Organisations in 2000, now the WRO. In 2005 he was released by SFR to work fulltime with the WRO, and UKRO to help build capacity within both organisations. During this time, he was able to develop partnerships for the WRO with the World Health Organisation WHO and establish the WRO as an executive member of the Global Road Safety Partnership GRSP. Cameron has assisted the WHO with their Pre-Hospital Trauma Care Systems Programme. Cameron undertook preparatory work for the WRO to become a member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration UNRSC. Cameron along with colleagues within the WRO attends GRSP and UNRSC meetings in promotion of the WRO’s work to develop first responders in immediate post-crash care and rescue. He has extensive international development experience work in Romania, Poland, South Africa, Russian Federation, Brazil, Moldova and the Czech Republic, and recently coordinated WRO project development project work in Dubai. As the WRO Secretary Cameron provided support to all WRO member organisations, the WRO Executive of which he is a member, the WRO Committee and World Rescue Organisation hosts. Since stepping down from the Secretary role, Cameron continues to support in projects and other areas that outstanding items require completion.
WRO Treasurer –Joffrey Amorison
I’m Joffrey AMORISON, newly elected Treasurer, taking over from Declan CASSIDY, who I’d like to thank for his support.
I started my first-aid career in 1990 and have been a firefighter for almost 20 years, currently in the Haut-Rhin department in eastern France. I divide my time between operational duty and First Aid training (BLS and ALS levels). I’ve been a First Aid Trainer Instructor and PHTLS instructor for over 10 years.
I joined the WRO adventure as an assessor at the Trauma Challenge in Nantes in 2017 and I have continued to take part in all the challenges organised by the Fédération Nationale des Sapeurs-Pompiers de France (FNSPF) ever since.
Since the start of my adventure with the WRO, I’ve had the chance to meet some extraordinary people and share our experiences and knowledge around our common passion for rescue.
Ian Marritt has over 25 years’ experience in the UK Fire and Rescue Service with an extensive background in Fire Service operations and training.For the last 15 years Ian has been involved in the rescue challenge concept. Starting a team member in the UK, Ian competing as an extrication technician, before taking up the role as Incident Commander. After participating for five years at numerous events across the UK, Ian progressed to the role of an Assessor. Ian quickly progressed to be a National UKRO and a WRO assessor. Ian has attended numerous WRO as an assessor both in the UK and abroad.
With a passion for developing others, Ian has also been involved in several international development projects in Eastern Europe and supported the WRO in UAE. Currently, Ian hold the position of Director for Education and Development for the UKRO and is responsible for creation and delivery of education material for the UK Rescue Challenge and Academy.
WRO Director of Operations – Ray Martin
I joined Civil Defence when I was 16 years old and always had an interest in the role of the emergency services in Ireland. In 2000 I joined Dublin Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service.
My job in DFB has opened so many paths for me. I qualified as an Adult Educator and PHECC Tutor early in my career and in 2006 I completed the Advanced Paramedic programme. I have enjoyed the challenges of my operational career in Fire EMS to date and I decided a number of years ago to get involved in training.
As a Paramedic Tutor, Haz Mat and RTC Instructor I have held the positions of syndicate officer, assistant and Course Director on recruit fire fighter courses. I am currently actively involved in officer development courses for RTC.
Joining the ROI in 2014 I have assessed at national and international level. I qualified as an assessor with the World Rescue Organisation in Command / Technical / Medical and Trauma disciplines.
I look forward to the challenges and experiences I will face in my new role as Director of Operations. I will use my experiences as an assessor, and I know I will continue to learn and develop as I work alongside people that share my interest and passion in helping others.