David Rhodes is a 37-year fire service veteran, retired as a Battalion Chief with the City of Atlanta Fire Department.

He is a Chief Elder for the Georgia Smoke Diver Program, a member of the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) Executive Advisory Board, a Hands-on Training Coordinator for the FDIC conference, an Editorial Advisor and author for Fire Engineering Magazine, an Editorial Advisor for Fire Apparatus and Equipment Magazine, author of the Hump Day SOS column for Fire Rescue Magazine, an Adjunct Instructor for the Georgia Fire Academy, an Advisory Board Member for Underwriters Laboratory Firefighter Safety Research Institute, and a Board Member of the Firefighter Air Coalition and The Center for Flow Based Leadership.

He served as Incident Commander for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency - All Hazards Incident Management Team and Task Force Leader for the Georgia Search and Rescue Team. He is president of Rhodes Consultants, Inc. which provides public safety training, consulting and promotional assessment centers.

Brent Hullender is a 29-year fire service veteran.  He is currently a Battalion Chief with a large metropolitan department in Georgia.  Brent graduated from Georgia Smoke Diver Class #30 in 1994 and Mississippi Smoke Diver Class #87 in 2009.

He is a Chief Elder for the Georgia Smoke Diver Program, a member of the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) Executive Advisory Board, a Hands-on Training Coordinator for FDIC, and an Adjunct Instructor for the Georgia Fire Academy.

Brent is a nationally recognized fire service instructor.  Some of his accomplishments include developing the Firefighter Assist & Survival Tactics Course (FAST) and teaching it throughout the country, as well as being a Lead Instructor for FDIC.

He is President of Atlantic Training Associates, Inc., which provides fire and technical rescue training to the fire service, military, and private industry.

Mike Russell is a 36-year fire service veteran currently serving as a Battalion Chief with the City of Dalton Fire Department. Mike started his career as a volunteer at the Whitfield County Fire Department for 10 years and served 7 years at Whitfield EMS before joining the Dalton Fire Department in 1992.

Mike graduated from Georgia Smoker Diver Class #18 in the fall of 1986 and has been an instructor for the program ever since.  Mike is a Structural Fire Control Instructor and assists with Hands-on Training Courses for the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC).

Merv McDonald is a 34-year fire service veteran, retired as Captain of Engine 53 with the City of Marietta Fire Department, where he also led the department’s Hazardous Materials Team.  He formerly served as the Deputy Chief of Fort Oglethorpe Fire and Rescue.

He is currently an Operations Section Chief with the Georgia Emergency Management - Metro Atlanta All Hazards Incident Management Team and a member of the Georgia Search and Rescue Metro Team.  Merv is a partner with MRJ Consulting specializing in assisting with ISO Fire Department Ratings and a Hands-on Instructor with the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC).

Charles Long is a 32-year veteran of the fire service with a degree in Fire Science. He currently holds the rank of captain with a metro Atlanta, GA fire department, where he is assigned to an engine company. In addition to his responsibilities managing a firehouse, he helps coordinate and conduct departmental training in fire management and control, and training on special operations response procedures.

He is an Adjunct Instructor with the Georgia Fire Academy special operations division and instructs in the Georgia Smoke Diver and Public Safety Diver programs. Charles is also a certified law enforcement officer and is assigned to a Special Response Team as an entry officer and sniper. He often assists with conducting entry/sniper training throughout northeast Georgia. Charles has participated as a HOT Instructor with FDIC since 2008

Harvey Cryder is a 31-year fire service veteran. He currently services as Fire Chief and EMA director for Screven County. Harvey graduated from Georgia Smoke Diver Class #33 in the fall of 2005 and was the first graduate (#636) after the 10-year break. He is also a Georgia F.L.A.M.E.S. graduate (#136).

Harvey is a Hands-on Training Instructor for the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC), and an Adjunct Instructor for the Georgia Fire Academy.

Russell Sykes is a 20-year veteran of the fire service. He is currently an engine company lieutenant in a large metropolitan fire department in the southeastern United States. Russell graduated from the Georgia Smoke Diver program in March 2007 in class #36. He currently serves the program as the Operations Chief and Lead Instructor for the Search program. Russell is a lead instructor at the Fire Department Instructors Conference, which he has had the privilege of teaching at for the past 11 years. He has been a lecturer and hands-on instructor for Wichita HOT numerous times over the last decade. Russell has also been an instructor for special operations refresher classes for the Department of Defense.

Prior to the fire service, Russell traveled the globe in the world's greatest Navy while onboard two different warships: USS Independence (CV-62) AND USS Cole (DDG-67).

Rick Swales is a 25-year veteran of the fire service. He retired in 2022 as a Captain with the City of Fayetteville Fire Department, and now works as a Firefighter for The City of Grand Junction Fire Department in western Colorado. He graduated from the Georgia Smoke Diver program in Class #39. He is a lead instructor with GSD and Vertical Consult (SPRAT level 3), and is a HOT Instructor with FDIC since 2009. Rick has been a speaker at the Colorado Fire Chiefs Leadership Conference and specializes in realistic modern fire department training. Rick has instructed with "Do Your Part" fire department training and "Bearers of the Oath".

Rick and other Colorado Smoke Divers are currently developing a Colorado Smoke Diver program, with the first class slated for 2025.