Instructors
Scott Savage
Scott is the founder and CEO of Savage Training Group. In 2023 he retired with 24 years of experience as an officer and sergeant in Northern California. His previous assignments include SWAT, Team Leader on a Crisis Negotiation Team, and full-time assignment to a terrorism/intelligence task force.
Steve “Pappy” Papenfuhs
Senior Instructor Steve “Pappy” Papenfuhs is a retired Sergeant with the San Jose Police Department. Pappy has 29 years of experience including assignments as an FTO Sergeant, Training Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, and SWAT team member. He is a published author and is frequently sought after as an expert witness in use-of-force cases.
Dominic Gamboa
Senior Instructor Dominic Gamboa is a 28-year veteran of both the San Francisco and Santa Clara Police Departments. Sure, he has the street experience to tell you what works and what doesn’t, but he’s also an expert-level instructor. Instead of “Death by Power Point”, Dom is known for captivating students and keeping them engaged.
Dan Flippo
Dan is a recently retired Deputy Chief from the Santa Cruz (CA) Police Department. He has decades of experience in SWAT and Patrol and is also an instructor with the National Tactical Officers Association.
Paul Grattan, Jr.
Paul recently retired from the New York City Police Department where he served for 21 years. Paul spent years as a Digital Communication Officer where he crafted messages for command staff members and the department’s social media accounts. That experience gave him the expertise to now help students build their own public messaging, use social media in a strategic way, and learn how to proactively communicate during a crisis.
Eddie Chan
Senior Instructor Eddie Chan is a current Sergeant with the San Jose Police Department in California. Having over 12 years of experience supervising the FTO Program, Eddie has participated in the training of hundreds of trainees, both entry-level and lateral officers.
Donald Anderson
Senior Instructor Donald Anderson is a current Lieutenant in the busy city of San Francisco. He has years of experience supervising a 40-officer crisis negotiation team and training officers. He is a passionate and engaging instructor who is committed to sharing real-world experience with our students.
James Tacchini
Senior Instructor James Tacchini is a Sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department. He is a Team Leader on the department’s 40-member Crisis/Hostage Negotiation Team. He previously served as a full-time Officer Involved Shooting investigator and is presently a Patrol Sergeant.
Jason Louis
Jason Louis has been with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office for over 20 years and is currently assigned as a sergeant in Patrol Services. As a sitting member of his agency’s use of force review board and a 15 year use of force and defensive tactics instructors, he’s developed unique and entertaining methods for teaching one of the most complex topics in law enforcement, use of force.
Max Garces
Proactivity and solving complex cases – those two factors have remained constant no matter what assignment Instructor Max Garces has held over the last 30 years. As a lead instructor for our Modern Interview and Interrogation course, now Max helps our students develop their own skills.
Marlon Marrache
Marlon is a 24 year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department who recently retired at the rank of Sergeant. Marlon is now serving as a Lieutenant with the Cal State Dominguez Hills Police Department.
Kristy Dorton
Kristy Dorton is a Public Safety Dispatcher II and Communications Training Officer (CTO) for the Sacramento Police Department in California where she has served since 2005.
Joe Preciado
Joe Preciado is a Sergeant with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and graduate of basic and advanced Science-Based Interviewing training courses. Joe’s detective experience includes General Felony investigator, Major Crimes Investigator working Sexual Assault and Child Crimes, and assignment to LAPD’S Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.