Expert Trainers

Donald Gross

FarrWest Trainer

Captain Donald Gross is a 24-year veteran of the Durham Fire Department. The last 13 years serving as captain. He currently serves as HazMat Team Coordinator. In this role he develops policy and procedures; manages budget and administration; and is called upon to craft legislation and ordinances. Along with his HAZMAT duties he manages department wide training on all manners of Fire Dept Response duties all while providing support on active scene emergency and non-emergency scenes.

Prior to his entrance into the fire service, he obtained double degrees in Chemistry and Biology and worked as an Analytical Biochemist in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park.

His training in Biowarfare has been utilized to develop innovative COVID19 responses processes that coordinated city, county and state resources in both traditional and non-traditional ways.

Credentialed as an instructor in 2002, he has been and adjunct instructor to NC Office of State Fire Marshall and multiple community colleges. He has international teaching experience outside the continental United States in both military and civilian settings.

Captain Gross specializes in designing custom, mission specific training. He developed NFA equivalent Chemistry Class for both 40- and 80-hour requirements. His area of expertise includes instrumentation, decontamination, Meters/technology, identification and risk-based analysis. Don is a published author and designs his own training materials.

Along with training, Don provides consultation to various departments in a variety of areas of response and administration.