Biography - Michael R. Charter

Michael R. Charter is currently a Fire Captain with the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) in Spokane, WA where he is a Safety and Training Officer and a Technical Rescue Team (TRT) member.

Mike is a member of a Regional Type III Incident Management Team and serves in the Planning Section. He has experience in the public sector in the areas of continuity planning, interagency incident management, collective bargaining/labor relations, strategic planning, and professional development processes.

Prior to joining the SVFD, Mike served for four years as a U.S. Army Ranger in the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment where he was responsible for all aspects of leading a four-man special operations element for combat military operations. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger school and Honor Graduate of the U.S. Army Primary Leadership Development Course.

Mr. Charter holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Masters of Public Administration (MPA), a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in Homeland Security, a Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management, and a Doctorate of Public Administration (DPA) degree.

Mike has received extensive training in homeland security, emergency management, critical infrastructure protection, and the incident command system from various affiliated agencies within the Department of Homeland Security. Mike is a graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program and is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) from the International Association of Emergency Managers.

Mike is an Assistant Professor in the fire science management, emergency and disaster management, and homeland security programs at APUS.

Mike has been married for 15 years to his wife Monica, and has two daughters: Isabella and Madalyn. In his free time he enjoys research, tactical shooting, camping, physical fitness activities, martial arts, and reading.