Who We Are

Our membership is made up of professional men and women like yourself. We have among our membership military personnel, engineers, technical, government personnel as well as professional and volunteer firefighters, managers, laborers, etc. All it takes to be an active member of TSAR is a willingness to help others and a love for the out of doors. When, where and how often you respond is totally up to you.

Elected Officers

Commander:  Steve Fesko

Steve Fesko grew up in Fayetteville, NY, where, as a child, he was actively involved in the Boy Scouts of America and was instilled with a love of the outdoors and all the adventures it provided. He moved to Virginia from New York in 1972 and graduated from Old Dominion University with a BS in Computer Science. Steve began a long career serving the US Military, Law Enforcement and Security communities. After the tragedy of 911 Steve became interested in emergency services and joined the Virginia Beach Community Emergency Response Team (VBCERT). Looking to expand his involvement and education, along with a strong desire to get back out into the outdoors, Steve joined Tidewater Search and Rescue (TSAR) in 2016. He became very active in the group, taking advantage of the many education opportunities provided by both TSAR and VDEM, He became certified as a Search Team Member, Search Team Leader and in Management Team Member. He regularly attends the annual Virginia SAR Conferences and is planning to begin his certification path towards Tracker. Steve was elected as Logistics Section Chief for TSAR in 2017 and as Plans Section Chief in 2019. In 2023, Steve was elected as the Group Commander. In addition to his SAR involvement, Steve is also working part time for the Virginia Beach Police Department and is actively involved in his community Civic League.

Operations Section Chief:  Matthew Jaeger

Steve Fesko grew up in Fayetteville, NY, where, as a child, he was actively involved in the Boy Scouts of America and was instilled with a love of the outdoors and all the adventures it provided. He moved to Virginia from New York in 1972 and graduated from Old Dominion University with a BS in Computer Science. Steve began a long career serving the US Military, Law Enforcement and Security communities. After the tragedy of 911 Steve became interested in emergency services and joined the Virginia Beach Community Emergency Response Team (VBCERT). Looking to expand his involvement and education, along with a strong desire to get back out into the outdoors, Steve joined Tidewater Search and Rescue (TSAR) in 2016. He became very active in the group, taking advantage of the many education opportunities provided by both TSAR and VDEM, He became certified as a Search Team Member, Search Team Leader and in Management Team Member. He regularly attends the annual Virginia SAR Conferences and is planning to begin his certification path towards Tracker. Steve was elected as Logistics Section Chief for TSAR in 2017 and as Plans Section Chief in 2019. In addition to his SAR involvement, Steve is also working part time for the Virginia Beach Police Department and is actively involved in his community as the Neighborhood Watch Coordinator and Newsletter Publisher for his neighborhood.

 

Plans Section Chief:  (Vacant)

Logistics Section Chief:  Kevin Brewer

Kevin Brewer started his SAR career in August 1995 with Tidewater Search and Rescue Group (TSAR) and continues this journey as a Search Mission Coordinator (SMC) and Search Team Leader (STL) with the group on behalf of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM). His current post is the Logistics Section Chief (LSC) and previously held the office as the group’s commander for over 18 years prior and Training Officer for a total of 5 years. As a Charter member and still active member of the Search and Rescue Tracking Institute (SARTI) since August 1998, Kevin maintains a VDEM certified Technician Tracker for the group and currently holds the office of Documentation Unit Lead (DUL).

Having been a VDEM SAR Instructor for 20 years Kevin has taught many hundreds of SAR practitioners in nearly every aspect of Wilderness SAR to include Tracking, Management and Leadership.

Finance Section Chief:  Sharyn Booker

Sharyn Booker grew up in Central Virginia and loved the outdoors and enjoyed hiking parts of the Appalachian trail, horseback riding, canoeing, and camping with her family. She moved to Hampton Roads in 2000 to attend Old Dominion University. She obtained her B.S in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. Her love of the outdoors and the desire to volunteer led her to join TSAR in 2015.

Appointed Officers

Technology Unit Leader:  Zachary Murray

Dispatch Officer:  Cathy Margiotta

Documentation Unit Leader:  Steve Fesko

Medical Unit Leader:  Chris Spaulding

Public Information Officer:  Kimberly Williamson

Safety Officer:  Shelley Drisko

Training Officer:  Kimberly Williamson

VASARCO Representatives: Steve Fesko, Kevin Brewer