Blackrock 3 Partners maximize Uptime during high severity IT incidents by assessing, training, evaluating and exercising incident response teams.
With deep global experience in Incident Management (Fire Department, Special Operations) and Critical Infrastructure (fiber networks, data centers, oil and gas, power systems), we combine a unique mix of expertise and ingenuity to maximize IT Uptime in your organization. We’ll show your team how to respond to IT emergencies more efficiently, more predictably and more confidently with strong incident leadership.
We’ve dramatically improved IT incident response teams around the world including NOC/EOC, site reliability, cybersecurity incident response, critical support, communications and executives.
Our customers are global cloud service providers, Fortune 500 Enterprises and Developers who incorporated IMS into their ITIL, DevOps, Agile, and Lean Practices.
We pioneered the use of IMS in IT Operations!
With deep global experience in Incident Management (Fire Department, Special Operations) and Critical Infrastructure (fiber networks, data centers, oil and gas, power systems), we combine a unique mix of expertise and ingenuity to maximize IT Uptime in your organization. We’ll show your team how to respond to IT emergencies more efficiently, more predictably and more confidently with strong incident leadership.
We’ve dramatically improved IT incident response teams around the world including NOC/EOC, site reliability, cybersecurity incident response, critical support, communications and executives.
Our customers are global cloud service providers, Fortune 500 Enterprises and Developers who incorporated IMS into their ITIL, DevOps, Agile, and Lean Practices.
We pioneered the use of IMS in IT Operations!
Rob Schnepp
Rob's emergency response career spans 30 years in international public safety as a Special Operations Fire Chief, Incident Commander, consultant and published author. Rob commanded numerous large-scale emergencies for the Alameda County (CA) Fire Department, protecting 500 square miles and two national laboratories in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Rob has responded on Unified Command/Incident Management Teams to high profile incidents including: 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attack; oil spills in San Francisco Bay (Cosco Busan and Dubai Star); large propane gas explosions; campaign wildland fires and numerous large scale emergencies for the Alameda County (CA) Fire Department. Rob planned and directed Red Command at Urban Shield, the largest Homeland Security exercise in the United States. Rob has planned and directed full scale exercises for the Department of Defense in 12 countries.
Rob is on the curriculum development team and teaches Special Operations at the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy. Rob authored Hazardous Materials: Awareness and Operations and serves on the Fire Engineering magazine editorial advisory board, and the Fire Department Instructors Conference executive advisory board.
Rob has developed risk assessment, incident management and incident command training for Fortune 500 companies, foreign governments, and US national laboratories.
Rob's emergency response career spans 30 years in international public safety as a Special Operations Fire Chief, Incident Commander, consultant and published author. Rob commanded numerous large-scale emergencies for the Alameda County (CA) Fire Department, protecting 500 square miles and two national laboratories in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Rob has responded on Unified Command/Incident Management Teams to high profile incidents including: 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attack; oil spills in San Francisco Bay (Cosco Busan and Dubai Star); large propane gas explosions; campaign wildland fires and numerous large scale emergencies for the Alameda County (CA) Fire Department. Rob planned and directed Red Command at Urban Shield, the largest Homeland Security exercise in the United States. Rob has planned and directed full scale exercises for the Department of Defense in 12 countries.
Rob is on the curriculum development team and teaches Special Operations at the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy. Rob authored Hazardous Materials: Awareness and Operations and serves on the Fire Engineering magazine editorial advisory board, and the Fire Department Instructors Conference executive advisory board.
Rob has developed risk assessment, incident management and incident command training for Fortune 500 companies, foreign governments, and US national laboratories.
Ron Vidal
Ron’s corporate career spans 35 years as a senior executive in critical infrastructure disciplines of metro/long haul/subsea fiber optic networks, data centers, oil & gas, power systems and capital markets. Previously, Ron was a senior executive at Level 3 Communication (operates 16,000 mile international metro, long haul and transoceanic fiber optic Tier 1 backbone network), UUNet Technologies (largest Tier 1 Internet Service Provider (ISP) when acquired by MFS), MFS Communications (operated 38 metro fiber networks in U.S. and Europe, acquired by Worldcom) and Kiewit Construction (3rd largest U.S. construction contractor).
Ron led technical and operational due diligence teams on over $19 billion of telecommunications and Internet Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) transactions, including the 5th largest transaction in history at its closing. Ron developed and communicated key financial messages during the sale of $14 billion of public equity, debt and convertible debt securities, across 10 international roadshows and 8 trading desks, and managed relationships with 21 sell-side research analysts and 25 of Level 3’s largest shareholders and bondholders. Ron presented at investment conferences sponsored by Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, UBS, Oppenheimer and others and at company sponsored investor & analyst days and has been quoted in Business Week, USA Today and numerous trade publications.
Ron led Level 3 Communications relief and recovery efforts in New York City after the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attack. Ron also served on Mayor Dinkins New York City Task Force on Network Reliability.
Ron has advocated technology public policy to Members and staff of United States Congress, Commissioners and staff of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Commissioners and staff of the California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York Public Utility Commissions (PUC), notably testifying before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet on E-911 and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) policy. Ron is a volunteer firefighter, and former Chair of the Emergency Preparedness Commission in Mill Valley, California and a technical peer reviewer for FEMA’s Assistance for Firefighter Grant (AFG) program.
Ron’s corporate career spans 35 years as a senior executive in critical infrastructure disciplines of metro/long haul/subsea fiber optic networks, data centers, oil & gas, power systems and capital markets. Previously, Ron was a senior executive at Level 3 Communication (operates 16,000 mile international metro, long haul and transoceanic fiber optic Tier 1 backbone network), UUNet Technologies (largest Tier 1 Internet Service Provider (ISP) when acquired by MFS), MFS Communications (operated 38 metro fiber networks in U.S. and Europe, acquired by Worldcom) and Kiewit Construction (3rd largest U.S. construction contractor).
Ron led technical and operational due diligence teams on over $19 billion of telecommunications and Internet Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) transactions, including the 5th largest transaction in history at its closing. Ron developed and communicated key financial messages during the sale of $14 billion of public equity, debt and convertible debt securities, across 10 international roadshows and 8 trading desks, and managed relationships with 21 sell-side research analysts and 25 of Level 3’s largest shareholders and bondholders. Ron presented at investment conferences sponsored by Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, UBS, Oppenheimer and others and at company sponsored investor & analyst days and has been quoted in Business Week, USA Today and numerous trade publications.
Ron led Level 3 Communications relief and recovery efforts in New York City after the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attack. Ron also served on Mayor Dinkins New York City Task Force on Network Reliability.
Ron has advocated technology public policy to Members and staff of United States Congress, Commissioners and staff of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Commissioners and staff of the California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York Public Utility Commissions (PUC), notably testifying before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet on E-911 and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) policy. Ron is a volunteer firefighter, and former Chair of the Emergency Preparedness Commission in Mill Valley, California and a technical peer reviewer for FEMA’s Assistance for Firefighter Grant (AFG) program.
Chris Hawley
Chris’s emergency response career spans 30 years. Most recently, Chris’s team managed a Department of Defense (DoD) program that provides training and exercises for countering the threat spectrum of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosive (CBRNE) threats globally. The team conducted in-country assessments with Ministry level and U.S. Embassy personnel in major cities and ports of entry, develops a plan to deliver training and equipment to the host nation and designs and conducts progressive and escalating exercises for single nation Ministries to multiple nation, multiple day Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) events. Chris has conducted training and exercises in 40 countries.
Chris co-developed the FBI’s Hazardous Materials Operations training program, Hazardous Materials Technician Program and SWAT Tactical Operations training program, serving as course manager and instructor for many of their specialized assets. He also co-developed the Department of Justice Crime Scene Management program, and WMD Evidence Management course.
Chris also served as Deputy Administrator for the Emergency Management Division and Special Operations Coordinator for Hazardous Materials Response and Advanced Technical Rescue for Baltimore County (MD) Fire Department, the 5th largest U.S. fire department, that protects 610 square miles including the Port of Baltimore and Interstate 95.
Since 1995, Chris has served as the Conference Planning Chair for the International Hazardous Materials Response Teams Conference, which is the largest worldwide conference of its type and is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Chris is a technical working group member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Hazardous Materials 472 standards committee, which is used worldwide and outlines the training requirements for hazardous materials and WMD response.
Chris has authored the following textbooks: Hazardous Materials Incidents (3rd Edition); Hazardous Materials Air Monitoring & Detection Devices (2nd Edition); Hazardous Materials Response & Operations; and Co-Authored Special Operations: For Terrorism and Hazmat Crimes. These texts have been adopted in WMD programs in the FBI, Secret Service, Department of Defense Emergency Response Training program and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. A number of states use these textbooks as part of their mandatory training programs for all emergency responders. In addition to writing numerous articles in trade magazines, Chris is also an Editorial Board member for HazMat Responder World Magazine.
Chris serves as a technical consultant to numerous manufacturers for product, services and new technology development in the fields of air monitoring, hazardous materials and terrorism response. Chris conducts threat assessments and on-site building vulnerability assessments for protection against terrorism threats and attacks. In addition to those listed above, Chris has developed, or participated and delivered training programs for US Marines Chemical & Biological Response Force, National Security Agency, U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy, and various state and local police agencies. In addition he has provided training and consultation to more than 50 companies and cities, some of the companies include DuPont, Allied Signal, Honeywell, Northrup Grumman, Smiths Detection, Thermo Scientific, Battelle, SAIC, and a number of military assets. He has provided training for cities in 43 states.
Chris’s emergency response career spans 30 years. Most recently, Chris’s team managed a Department of Defense (DoD) program that provides training and exercises for countering the threat spectrum of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosive (CBRNE) threats globally. The team conducted in-country assessments with Ministry level and U.S. Embassy personnel in major cities and ports of entry, develops a plan to deliver training and equipment to the host nation and designs and conducts progressive and escalating exercises for single nation Ministries to multiple nation, multiple day Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) events. Chris has conducted training and exercises in 40 countries.
Chris co-developed the FBI’s Hazardous Materials Operations training program, Hazardous Materials Technician Program and SWAT Tactical Operations training program, serving as course manager and instructor for many of their specialized assets. He also co-developed the Department of Justice Crime Scene Management program, and WMD Evidence Management course.
Chris also served as Deputy Administrator for the Emergency Management Division and Special Operations Coordinator for Hazardous Materials Response and Advanced Technical Rescue for Baltimore County (MD) Fire Department, the 5th largest U.S. fire department, that protects 610 square miles including the Port of Baltimore and Interstate 95.
Since 1995, Chris has served as the Conference Planning Chair for the International Hazardous Materials Response Teams Conference, which is the largest worldwide conference of its type and is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Chris is a technical working group member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Hazardous Materials 472 standards committee, which is used worldwide and outlines the training requirements for hazardous materials and WMD response.
Chris has authored the following textbooks: Hazardous Materials Incidents (3rd Edition); Hazardous Materials Air Monitoring & Detection Devices (2nd Edition); Hazardous Materials Response & Operations; and Co-Authored Special Operations: For Terrorism and Hazmat Crimes. These texts have been adopted in WMD programs in the FBI, Secret Service, Department of Defense Emergency Response Training program and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. A number of states use these textbooks as part of their mandatory training programs for all emergency responders. In addition to writing numerous articles in trade magazines, Chris is also an Editorial Board member for HazMat Responder World Magazine.
Chris serves as a technical consultant to numerous manufacturers for product, services and new technology development in the fields of air monitoring, hazardous materials and terrorism response. Chris conducts threat assessments and on-site building vulnerability assessments for protection against terrorism threats and attacks. In addition to those listed above, Chris has developed, or participated and delivered training programs for US Marines Chemical & Biological Response Force, National Security Agency, U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy, and various state and local police agencies. In addition he has provided training and consultation to more than 50 companies and cities, some of the companies include DuPont, Allied Signal, Honeywell, Northrup Grumman, Smiths Detection, Thermo Scientific, Battelle, SAIC, and a number of military assets. He has provided training for cities in 43 states.
Advisors
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Jesse Robbins
Jesse Robbins is co-founder of Orion Labs, a wearable communications device and Chef (formerly Opscode), the leader in Cloud Infrastructure Automation. Jesse was a founding chair of the Velocity Web Performance & Operations Conference, editor of the O’Reilly publication Web Operations, and is a contributor to the O’Reilly Radar blog. Prior to founding Opscode as CEO in 2008, Jesse, as the “Master of Disaster” at Amazon.com, was responsible for Website Availability for every property bearing the Amazon.com brand. Jesse developed GameDay, which was an in-depth, iterative program to improve company-wide availability through fault-injection into Amazon’s most critical systems in three ways: 1) Preparation for GameDay drives the identification and mitigation of risks and impact from failure, reducing both the frequency of failure (MTBF) and time to recover (MTTR). 2) Participation in GameDay builds confidence in recovering systems after failure and under stress. This strengthens individual and cultural ability to anticipate, mitigate, respond to, and recover from failures of all types. 3) The GameDay exercises trigger and expose “latent defects”, allowing the organization to decide when it will discover them, instead of letting that be determined by the next real disaster. In addition to GameDay, Jesse also implemented the following two high visibility, high impact programs at Amazon: 1) ScaleDay Program – Created a successful program to improve Amazon’s fourth-quarter availability through periodic stress testing on front-end websites. 2) Q4 “WAR Team” / Incident Management Center - Established, operated, and led the command center responsible for ensuring a successful holiday for Amazon’s customers and merchant partners. The Q4 WAR team was comprised with senior leaders and executives from each critical function within the company. Jesse has written and contributed to numerous policy and best-practices documents on a variety of subjects including systems architecture, resilience engineering, distributed systems, fault-tolerant design, security, legal compliance, and disaster recovery. Jesse has served as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT and Emergency Manager, and led a task force deployed in Operation Hurricane Katrina. |
Cadre of Advisors
We have a large cadre of advisors across emergency response and critical infrastructure at the highest levels of industry and government in Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, South East Asia, and South America. |