INSTRUCTOR BIOS

Deputy Sheriff at Benton County Sheriff's Office
Public Affairs Liaison at Law Enforcement Drone Association (LEDA)

Doug Seirup is a Deputy with the Benton County (Oregon) Sheriff's Office and oversees the law enforcement division's UAS Team.  He started his law enforcement career in 2008 in the state of Utah, before moving to Corvallis, Oregon, and joining the BCSO in 2015.  Doug is a Field Training Deputy, EVOC instructor, and a member of the Major Crash Team.  With a passion for technology and finding ways to incorporate it into law enforcement, Doug helped start the UAS program in Benton County in early 2019.  With seven aircraft and three part 107 certified operators, Doug has helped the Benton County Sheriff's Office implement their UAS program into many facets of law enforcement work, including crash and crime scene reconstruction/mapping, assisting patrol with crimes in progress, and providing overwatch aerial support for SWAT missions.

KATIE (GAUSMANN) THIELMEYER

Firefighter/Paramedic
Risk Reduction Officer/UAS Program Manager

Katie Thielmeyer is a firefighter/paramedic and FAA Part 107-certified remote pilot who assists public safety agencies implement best-of-class drone programs based on ASTM and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) flight standards.  She is regarded as a subject matter expert in the use of sUAS for mission-critical public safety applications.

Ms. Thielmeyer serves as the Risk Reduction Officer with the Woodlawn (Ohio) Fire Department, where she oversees the Risk Reduction Division, delivering an array of essential services including fire & EMS response, community outreach, and fire prevention programs.  In 2018, Thielmeyer created the Emergency Services Special Operations (ESSO) sector within the Risk Reduction Division to implement a public safety unmanned aviation program focused on sUAS response.  That team, in collaboration with other fire and law agencies, now provides mutual assistance for regional deployments in the Cincinnati area and beyond.

Katie also serves as a project manager and principal investigator with DRONERESPONDERS, the world’s fastest-growing non-profit program supporting the use of sUAS by public safety agencies and emergency services around the globe.  In this capacity, Ms. Thielmeyer oversees DRONERSPONDERS’ partnership with NIST, as well as other specialized initiatives.

JOHN WAKIE

Firefighter/sUAS Pilot with FDNY
sUAS Instructor and Consultant

As a 14 year veteran firefighter with the country's largest department, John has been operating
drones as a hobbyist and a professional for over 8 years. Combining his two passions became a
reality when his department decided to start a sUAS program.
When his department made the move to transition its sUAS program to robotics, John was one
of only a handful of firefighters tasked with molding an effective, organized, and teachable
solution.
"Being on the forefront of building a program for such a large department was no easy task. My
colleagues and I learned a lot in the process. Constantly looking at the latest equipment and the
endless hours of researching sUAS allowed me to accept a position as a sUAS instructor for
New York State Preparedness Training Center. In our classes we work with Public Safety sUAS
operators from all over the country and in all branches of Public Safety.”

MICHAEL WALL

Firefighter/sUAS Pilot with FDNY
sUAS Instructor and Consultant

Michael Wall is a veteran firefighter with over 17 years of service in the F.D.N.Y. As the only firefighter still with the unit since its inception and initial joint venture with the FAA, Michael provides effective sUAS flight in the highly controlled and complex airspace of NYC.

​As a licensed Part 107 Pilot, he has flown both with his Department and privately. The majority of incidents piloted have occurred in the Class B airspace surrounding Laguardia, JFK, and Newark airports. In addition to his Part 107 license, Michael was also a sUAS instructor for the New York State Preparedness Training Center.

"I love the ability to change public perception of sUAS operations and be a part of something so groundbreaking in Public Safety. So many advancements in Police and Fire technology are usually the result of tragedy within a department. To be attached to a completely proactive program is a rare and exciting thing. I now strive to develop Public Safety sUAS programs that, once established, their absence becomes an abnormality in the eyes of the public and the City Government.”

CLAY REGAN

Patrol Division Commander for Midlothian Texas Police Dept.
founding member of the North Texas Public Safety Unmanned Response Team (NTX PSURT)

Commander Clay Regan is currently a Patrol Division Commander for the Midlothian Texas Police Department. He was hired as a Patrol Sergeant in March of 2018 after serving 28 years with the Bedford Texas Police Department.

During his time in Bedford, Clay held such positions as Patrol Officer, 5th/7th Grade DARE Instructor; Field Training Officer; Gang Unit Investigator; Field Training Coordinator, SWAT Team Member, Patrol Supervisor, Department Instructor, K9 Decoy, and Detective. He proposed and developed several of the department’s first programs, such as the Designated Marksman Program, Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program, Honor Guard Program, and Critical Incident Stress Program and Policy.  Hs is a founding member of the North Texas Public Safety Unmanned Response Team (NTX PSURT), and has numerous UAS responses under his belt, including a deployment to south east Texas in support of the Hurricane Harvey Response. He ended his career in Bedford developing the department’s first Tactical Intelligence Program.

Since his arrival with the Midlothian Police Department, he has developed the UAS Program and authored the cities first Certificate of Waiver and Authorization (COA), allowing for UAS flights by the Police and Fire Departments.

Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt.) Clay Regan retired from the US Air Force in December 2020 after serving 26+ years as on active duty, and as a reservist. While on active duty, he was an Explosive Detector Dog Handler, Military Working Dog Section Trainer, and worked extensively with the US State Department and US Secrete Service.  Clay has several deployments under his belt, including 19 months in response to 911, and a deployment to Kandahar Afghanistan. He retired as the Security Forces Manager/Senior Enlisted Member, of a large Security Forces (Police) Unit in Florida.

Clay is a 1984 graduate of Midlothian High School. He is also a graduate of several civilian Law Enforcement Leadership Courses and US Military Command Schools. He holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia College and a Masters’ Degree in Critical Incident Management/Emergency Management from St. Leo University in Florida.