The National Rescue & Response Institute (NRRI), founded by Joey Vulpis and Matt Novellino in October 2021, was formed to meet the needs of the general public, but mainly government workers who are looking for specialized, technical training and credentials. It was originally formed in 2014 as the Wilderness & Mountain Safety Institute, but due to governmental agency requirements, it was transformed into the National Rescue & Response Institute. Joey and Matt are owners of Northeast Mountain Guiding and several other industry related organizations, along with being remote and rescue operations specialists with the DOD, DOJ and DHS.
The NRRI offers training in several disciplines: water rescue (swiftwater, floodwater, USCG rescue swimmer), search & rescue (ground & wilderness), mountain rescue, tactical (for LE & military), wilderness & remote medicine, human trafficking, fugitive apprehension (remote), man-tracking (SAR, LE & military). We have 2 fully operational facilities. One is based in Monmouth County NJ and the other is based in Washington DC. Both have a 40' by 100' swiftwater pool, 6 indoor classrooms and helicopter operations pads and rescue pools.
All of our instructors have decades of law enforcement, military and/or rescue experience. Our instructors are full-time professionals and have worked and trained some of the best professionals in our country. We work daily with LE, FD, SAR, MR, DOD, DOJ and DHS agencies conducting various types of training.
We offer training in various disciplines, but can also provide a customized program to meet your agency or organization's needs and/or responding criteria. Our training and certifications are Nationally recognized.
Joseph Vulpis, Co-Founder, is an expert in the wilderness & mountain rescue industry. He's been a government contractor for over a decade and has worked with various military, Federal law enforcement and emergency response units and agencies across the country. He works as a full time Mountain Guide, Mountain Rescue instructor and Government Contractor.
His detailed bio can be found here: Click Here
Matthew Novellino, Co-Founder, is a former US Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmer and a current US Special Forces Green Beret with the 5th Battalion, 19th Group. Matt has worked as a Mountain Guide and a SF qualification instructor for US SOCOM evaluating aspirant Green Berets. Sadly, Matt passed away in January of 2022.
His detailed bio can be found here: Click Here
I've always been a lover of all things outdoors, it's my favorite place to be. As a kid, my family would go kayaking and camping regularly, and we had a house on the river that has always been my second home. The outdoors has always brought me life and I grew up just craving more adventure.
After highschool, I left my hometown in Pennsylvania and joined the United States Marine Corps to explore more! In 2010, after bootcamp, combat training, and schooling to learn how to drive really big trucks... I headed off to Okinawa, Japan. A few months after getting to island, I started to get my exploring in while getting ready for our 7 month deployment to Afghanistan. In 2011, our first training was Balikatan in the Philippines with the Philippine Marine Corps and the Philippine Army. After that was Pohang, Korea training with the ROK (Republic of Korea) Marine Corps, and then Enhanced Mojave Viper in California. February 2012 we deployed providing Tactical Logistics Support delivering and retrograding supplies and equipment, and recovering vehicles. All safely returning home, my next duty station was at Chemical Biological Incident Response Force in Maryland where I honorably discharged from the military a new mom.
- Wilderness First Aid
- Department of Defense Insider Threat Awareness
- Department of Defense Cybersecurity certified
- Department of Defense Counterintelligence certified
My name is Gabrielle Woodruff, but most know me as Gabi! I am currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Homeland Security program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and work as a part-time Manager as a 5-star seafood restaurant in North Jersey.
My family had a very large impact on me growing up and to current. My grandfather was a boy scout troop leader for 30 years after serving in Vietnam. He would always take me out camping and teach me wilderness survival techniques as well as a lot of life lessons that I still incorporate into my every day. Every male in my family was either a military veteran, active duty or a first responder. My brother and his wife are Captains in the United States Army, my father is a Navy veteran, my grandfather is an Army veteran, and he also played a role in the Special Forces where he received a purple heart. Given my background, you can imagine why what we do here at National Rescue & Response Institute gets me so excited! The impact that we are making on emergency rescue is a game changer. I began working in marketing during COVID, I was networking and was introduced to Joseph Vulpis. When he told me about what we would be doing here, I was beyond eager to get started! I can’t wait to see where we go and the impact that we’re going to make in the first responder community.
- Department of Defense Insider Threat Awareness
- Department of Defense Cybersecurity certified
- Department of Defense Counterintelligence certified
If you have a military, rescue, law enforcement or similar background, give us a call or send us a message!
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