Robbyn Rene’s passion for Search and Rescue began April 19th, 1995, when as a young EMT she answered the call for all available First Responders to assist the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Over the years, she continued assisting with evacuations and Search + Rescues for Hurricanes and Wild Fires by any means necessary, using the contacts and skills she had acquired through her EMT work and 911 Dispatching for Stanislaus County. As fires and hurricanes increased in intensity and frequency, so did Robbyn Rene’s involvement, transforming from a part-time passion to a full-time obsession during the 2020 Hurrican Season. In the Fall of 2020 she joined the GulfSAR Team. “This isn’t a Team, GulfSAR is a family. And there is nothing better than working with a highly skilled, elite group of people that work seamlessly together, due to the trust we’ve built as a family over the years.”

US Army Veteran
26 years working in the Fire and EMS Fields as a Critical Care Paramedic.
Alpha Team Lead for multiple Hurricane and natural disasters dating back to Katrina.
EVOC, NIMS, CPR, ACLS, PALS and PHTLS.
Father and Husband.

Miranda Garner is a proud mother of two and a nursing student. Living in Mississippi, she became involved in hurricane rescue and relief after personally seeing the devastation that happens post hurricane, the enormous amount of people panicking and stuck with nothing. Living on the Gulf Coast, Miranda’s family has been the ones in need and the help and resources available today wasn’t around. “I want to continue to be the light through some of people’s darkest days!”

Colin Bush has put his passion for helping others in times of need to work through his Disaster Response efforts since 2016. Colin has a degree in Emergency Medical Service, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, and has been a Volunteer Firefighter in his community since 2019. Along with FEMA National Incident Command Systems Certifications required to be a member of the GulfSAR Team, Colin also holds Instructor Certifications for CPR, First Aid, AED, Basic Life Support, ALS, PALS, and Emergency Medical Responder.

Dawn Courtney has a background in contract security in Hazmat Environment, lifeguard/swim instructor, and Volunteer Firefighter/First Responder. Living on the Gulf Coast, Dawn saw a need and had a desire to help others following Hurricane Katrina. Upon retirement, Dawn began training with her Cadaver K9, K9 Lakota, and holds multiple certifications, including ICS and TEEX Swiftwater Rescue certifications. Dawn decided to join GulfSAR after deploying to Florida with K9 Lakota to assist following Hurricane Ian.

Myall Hawkins started his career as an aerospace design engineer for Cessna, and then as a system-safety engineer for Boeing before attending law school.  Myall moved to Texas and has practiced law for over thirty years. After his family witnessed the effects of Hurricane Harvey on his local community and the State of Texas, he decided he could do more for his community by acquiring equipment and obtaining the necessary training for the next flood event. Myall now owns various watercraft and is trained to operate a rescue inflatable as well as a rescue hovercraft where he possesses Pilot I and II certificates. He has also obtained his Lake Rescue Boat Technician I, as well as his Flood and Swiftwater Rescue Training I and II, along with FEMA Certifications ICS 100 and 200. Prior to joining a volunteer rescue organization, he personally canvassed multiple organizations in which to join, and Gulf SAR was the volunteer organization that had the leadership, organizational structure, required training and established Federal and State relationships to have the greatest impact for our fellow citizens who experience flooding and swift water events.

As a former firefighter of almost 15 years, Robert wanted to continue helping others. After hurricane Ian hit Florida, Robert wanted put his years of training as a First Responder to use helping those that were trapped by the flood waters in his home state of Florida. This began his passion for water search and rescue.

As a former boy scout, he is an ASM for scout troop 143 in Fruitland Park, FL. He has 4 sons that were/are active in the troop.

Ahrad Nathan is a California native currently residing in Florida, where he is enrolled in a postbaccalaureate program with the eventual goal of becoming a physician. While in school, Ahrad has put his EMT credentials to work and has thousands of hours working in the back of an ambulance. When he’s not studying or working, Ahrad trains in martial arts, primarily boxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jui Jitsu. In addition to his FEMA ICS certifications, he also holds certifications in NREMT, EVOC, and CPR/BLS.

Kelly Swords experienced the effects of hurricane disaster first hand during Hurricane Harvey, having to be evacuated from the floodwaters and having her home destroyed.  So when Hurricane Laura ravaged Lake Charles, her calling began in rescue.  As a certified and experienced diver, she has now added certifications in Flood and Swiftwater Technician I and II and many FEMA Incident Command courses.  Kelly also has been vital in GulfSAR deployments, even saving a teammate and a potential victim following a boat capsizing during  Hurricane Ida.

James Seiffert’s passion for helping others started in 2014 when he decided to join his local volunteer fire department at the age of 18. Department training led him to a flood and  swift water rescue course where he saw a need to help others on a larger scale. After hearing testimonies from the lead instructor of the FAST1 course (who happens to be an active GulfSAR member), James decided to join GulfSAR. James’ current certifications are: FAST 1, TEEX Swiftwater Rescue, BLS Provider, FEMA ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-700, and ICS-800. James continues to pursue training that will make him a better asset to GulfSAR.