The Emergency Response Team (ERT) is the group of Gold Aviation Services personnel who assume specific operational roles during an emergency. The ERT is not a standing committee — it is activated when needed and stands down when the response is complete. Your assignment to the ERT means you have accepted a defined role with specific duties that you are expected to carry out when called.
The ERT is led by the Emergency Response Director (Paige Tehse, Director of Safety). During an active response, all ERT members report to the Emergency Response Director — not to their usual supervisors. This is a deliberate chain of command designed to eliminate confusion about who is in charge.
The current ERT assignment and call list:
| Role | Assigned To | Cell |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Response Director | Paige Tehse | 602-400-0427 |
| ERC Coordinator / Transcriber | Lauren Rizzo | 954-296-1861 |
| Communications Officer | German Montoya | 305-310-6657 |
| Flight Operations Representative | William Wing | 352-613-0200 |
| Flight Crew Records Coordinator | Paolo Pacini | 786-218-3028 |
| Maintenance Representative | Jeff Evans | 805-769-6774 |
| Family Assistance Coordinator | Candice Babila | 954-654-5607 |
| Public Relations / Media Contact | Leonard Goldberg / Candice Babila | 954-931-6328 |
| Legal Coordinator | Leonard Goldberg | 954-931-6328 |
| Go-Team Leader | Jeff Evans | 805-769-6774 |
| Go-Team | Olga Perilla, German Montoya, Paige Tehse | — |
ERT roles can be reassigned during an active response if a member is unavailable, overwhelmed, or needs relief. If you are reassigned, a Role Transition Form is completed to ensure your duties are fully transferred. If you need to be relieved — due to stress, fatigue, or any other reason — tell the Emergency Response Director. Requesting relief is not a failure.
An individual who has not been assigned a formal role may still be asked to perform specific tasks by the Emergency Response Director. In those cases, the Task Assignment form defines the duty and the person responsible.
The first hour of an emergency response is the most critical. The ERP is designed to structure this period so that roles are assigned, information is verified, and the response is organized before chaos sets in. As an ERT member, you need to understand this sequence even if you are not the one initiating it — because you may receive a call at any point in the chain.
Step 1 — Initial Notification. Anyone who receives first word of a potential emergency becomes the Response Coordinator and completes the Initial Notification Form (Part A of the ERP). They confirm the information, begin notifying the ERT call list, and contact the Activation Committee.
Step 2 — Verification. The Response Coordinator has up to 10 minutes to verify the emergency through an independent authoritative source — airport authority, local emergency services, ATC, an eyewitness. If the emergency cannot be verified within 10 minutes, it is marked "Unconfirmed" and the response continues anyway. Unconfirmed does not mean stand down.
Step 3 — Activation decision. The Activation Committee (Director of Safety, Chief Pilot, Director of Operations, Director of Charter, Director of Maintenance, President) decides whether to activate the ERP. They have 15 minutes to respond. If no response is received in 15 minutes, the Response Coordinator activates regardless.
Step 4 — ERT establishment. The Emergency Response Director takes command. An initial briefing is called — gather in person if possible, by conference call if not. At this briefing:
- All known facts about the emergency are shared
- Role assignments are confirmed or adjusted based on who is available
- Initial contact assignments are made (NTSB, FAA, insurance, legal, public relations)
- A schedule for recurring briefings is established
Aircraft accidents specifically: If the emergency is confirmed as an aircraft accident, the Emergency Response Director notifies the NTSB immediately at (202) 314-6290. The NTSB Form 6120.1 must be filed within 10 days of a reportable incident or accident (7 days for an overdue aircraft). This is the Emergency Response Director's responsibility, but every ERT member should know this obligation exists.
Once the ERT is established, all personnel should contact their own families to confirm their status. This reduces incoming personal calls to the ERC and lets your family know you are safe and engaged.
Each ERT role has a defined set of responsibilities and a checklist in Part C of the ERP. You are expected to know your role's responsibilities before an emergency occurs. The checklist is a tool to support execution under pressure — not a document to read for the first time when the call comes in.
Role summaries are below. Read yours carefully. The full checklists are in Part C of the ERP, accessible through the Gold Safety SMS platform.
| Role | Core Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Emergency Response Director | Commands the entire response. Assigns roles, directs ERT members, notifies NTSB, briefs management and the President, determines Go-Team deployment, manages the pace and priority of the response from start to close. |
| ERC Coordinator / Transcriber | Sets up and maintains the Emergency Response Center. Manages the Response Center File — the master record of all documents, forms, and timeline entries. Takes minutes of all briefings. Coordinates logistics: supplies, food, travel arrangements for the Go-Team. |
| Communications Officer | Manages all internal communications between ERT members, management, and external agencies. Coordinates with the Public Relations / Media Contact on messaging. Provides periodic internal briefings. Maintains a direct link to the President at all times. Does not speak directly to media. |
| Flight Operations Representative | Provides operational flying experience and technical information. Gathers all flight-related records: flight plans, weather, weight and balance, MEL, SOPs, crew training records. Issues fleet stand-down if an aircraft accident is confirmed. Coordinates with FBOs and handlers. |
| Flight Crew Records Coordinator | Manages access to crew records and operational data. Gathers and maintains: passenger manifest, crew training records, licenses and medicals, flight duty times, deferred items. Coordinates with the Maintenance Representative on aircraft records. |
| Maintenance Representative | Collects and prepares maintenance records for turnover to FAA/NTSB: maintenance log, deferred maintenance log, MEL, overhaul and inspection records, manufacturer maintenance manuals. Retains copies of everything provided to investigators. Monitors ongoing maintenance operations. |
| Family Assistance Coordinator | Manages next-of-kin notification and ongoing family support. Compiles the Crew and Passenger Location and Status Report. Coordinates with the NTSB TDA Division. Ensures families have a designated point of contact and a Family Phone Line if applicable. Coordinates transportation for families if needed. |
| Public Relations / Media Contact | Manages all external communications. Acts as company spokesperson only with Presidential authorization. Prepares media statements and press releases. Monitors media coverage. Coordinates with the Communications Officer on messaging alignment. No information is released without Presidential approval. |
| Legal Coordinator | Liaises with external legal counsel (Jonathan Ewing, Aero Law Center). Advises on liability, insurance, and legal obligations at the emergency location. Coordinates with law enforcement in security-related emergencies. Researches legal implications if the event occurred internationally. |
| Go-Team Leader | Leads the Go-Team to the site of the emergency. Acts as the Emergency Response Director's representative on-site. Reports only to the Emergency Response Director — not directly to management or corporate officers. Coordinates with NTSB at the scene, requests Party to the Investigation status if appropriate. |
The Emergency Response Center (ERC) is the operational hub for the entire response. It must be established quickly and maintained continuously. The ERC Coordinator / Transcriber is responsible for setting it up, but every ERT member needs to understand how it operates.
Primary location: Gold Aviation Services, 1470 Lee Wagener Blvd., Suite 100, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315. If this location cannot be used, the Emergency Response Director designates an alternative.
Access control: Only ERT members and specifically authorized individuals may enter the ERC. The ERC Coordinator ensures door security is functional upon arrival. Non-ERT members who are granted access must be accompanied by an ERT member at all times and should be logged via a sign-in sheet. The ERC must never be left unattended while the response is active — a 24-hour presence is required, using shift rotations if necessary.
Photography and recording: Photography and audio/video recording inside the ERC are not permitted unless specifically requested by an investigating authority such as the NTSB.
The Response Center File is the master record maintained by the ERC Coordinator / Transcriber. It contains every form used, every document gathered, minutes from all briefings, and a running incident timeline. All ERT members route documents and information through the ERC Coordinator for inclusion in this file. The Response Center File is retained for at least six months following the emergency, or until the NTSB clears the company to archive it.
Briefing schedule: The Emergency Response Director sets a recurring briefing interval. All ERT members are expected to be available for communications and briefings on a 24-hour cycle during an active response. You are not relieved of your responsibilities until the Emergency Response Director explicitly tells you so.
Physical care: The ERC Coordinator manages food and refreshments on a scheduled basis. If you need a rest period during an extended response, inform the Emergency Response Director. ERT members who are fatigued make errors — requesting relief is part of the process, not a sign of weakness.
Aviation emergencies — particularly aircraft accidents — involve multiple external agencies with specific legal authority. As an ERT member, you need to understand who these agencies are, what their authority means for your role, and what you are and are not permitted to say or release.
NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigates every civil aviation accident in the United States. The NTSB determines probable cause and issues safety recommendations. If the NTSB is conducting an investigation, no information — written or verbal, including interviews with personnel — is to be released to any party other than the NTSB Investigator In Charge (IIC) without prior coordination. This includes other agencies such as the FAA, without prior NTSB coordination.
Notification obligation: The Emergency Response Director notifies the nearest NTSB field office immediately following a confirmed aircraft accident or reportable incident. The NTSB Miami Regional Office is the closest: (305) 597-4610. Written Form 6120.1 is due within 10 days (7 days for overdue aircraft).
Aircraft wreckage preservation: Prior to the NTSB taking custody of wreckage, it may not be moved or disturbed except to remove injured persons, protect the wreckage from further damage, or protect the public from injury. If wreckage must be moved, photograph and document its original position first. The operator must retain all records related to the accident until authorized by the NTSB to archive them.
Party to the Investigation: The Emergency Response Director may request Party status from the NTSB IIC. Party status allows Gold Aviation Services to participate in the fact-finding phase of the investigation. Attorneys may not act as parties — they may advise but cannot participate directly.
FAA involvement: The FAA (through its Aviation Accident Investigation division) conducts a parallel investigation alongside the NTSB. The FAA designates an Investigator In Charge (IIC) as well. Coordinate all FAA communications through the Emergency Response Director.
International emergencies: Accidents in foreign countries involve the accident investigation authority of that country, not the NTSB. In some jurisdictions, an aircraft accident may be treated as a criminal act — crew may be detained or arrested. If this occurs, the Legal Coordinator contacts aviation legal counsel in that jurisdiction immediately. Do not remove passengers or crew from the country without legal guidance — there may be significant legal consequences to doing so.
An emergency response does not end when the immediate crisis stabilizes. There is a structured close-out process, and participation in drills is an ongoing obligation for every ERT member.
Closing the ERC: As the pace of the response slows, the Emergency Response Director determines when the ERC can be stood down. Standing down the ERC does not end all ERT responsibilities — designated personnel continue to manage ongoing obligations such as NTSB coordination, family support, and legal matters until those are fully resolved.
Return to operations checklist: Before returning to normal operations after an aircraft accident or reportable incident, the Emergency Response Director ensures:
- Family assistance plans are fully in place and the Family Assistance Coordinator has confirmed next-of-kin notification is complete
- NTSB Form 6120.1 has been filed
- Legal Coordinator has initiated applicable insurance claims
- All ERT members have been debriefed
- Personnel currency has been reviewed — additional training may be required before crew members return to flight duties
- Aircraft maintenance currency is verified
- ERP revisions based on lessons learned are initiated
After-action review: Following any activation — actual emergency or drill — the ERP is reviewed for gaps and shortcomings. ERT member input is actively sought. Identified improvements are incorporated as revisions. You are expected to contribute to this process, not just receive the updated document.
Drill requirements for ERT members:
- Annual ERP Exercise — every ERT member participates. No time limit. The goal is familiarity and gap identification, not performance assessment. Shortcomings are addressed collaboratively.
- Full Tabletop Drill (every 36 months) — time-controlled simulation. A Master Clock tracks elapsed time. Designed to stress-test the response under realistic time pressure, including deliberate challenges: absent personnel, equipment failures, communication disruptions.
Drill participation is documented and retained. Recurrent training is also required following any major changes to the ERP. This module counts as your initial ERP training — you will be required to retake it or an equivalent recurrent version when significant ERP revisions occur.
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