Vision
Established in 2011, Vertical Consult LLC was formed by a small group of industry leaders and pioneers within the work at height industry. We believe our job is to be bold in guiding the rope access industry in performance, safety and efficiency. We thrive in high risk and challenging work environments and are often sought to find and implement solutions for difficult access projects. Understanding that success is measured against finding the possible, not debating the probable. That's why Vertical Consult is the go-to leader for clients who demand high quality service, expertise and capability from work at height professionals.
Meet the Team
Our Associates and Instructors
Globally, we provide specialized teams of highly skilled access technicians who carry out full service solutions without the use of traditional access such as scaffolding or staging. Our group of experienced professionals are actively engaged with projects that demand advanced knowledge, skill, and abilities in the work at height industry. Our Associates and Instructors are required to have real world experience, which includes construction, fabrication, electrical, structural inspection, concrete and telecommunications. Vertical Consult can operate worldwide and our members have worked on projects throughout North America, Canada, Europe and the Middle East.
Each member of our instructional staff has over 2 decades of education and experience in safety, work at height,and emergency response professions. Many of them work with standard making organizations and equipment manufacturers to move our professions in a safe and sensible direction. The majority of AVC trainers currently serve in public safety, fire, police, military, EMS and rescue organizations.
Globally, we provide specialized teams of highly skilled access technicians who carry out full service solutions without the use of traditional access such as scaffolding or staging. Our group of experienced professionals are actively engaged with projects that demand advanced knowledge, skill, and abilities in the work at height industry. Our Associates and Instructors are required to have real world experience, which includes construction, fabrication, electrical, structural inspection, concrete and telecommunications. Vertical Consult can operate worldwide and our members have worked on projects throughout North America, Canada, Europe and the Middle East.
Each member of our instructional staff has over 2 decades of education and experience in safety, work at height,and emergency response professions. Many of them work with standard making organizations and equipment manufacturers to move our professions in a safe and sensible direction. The majority of AVC trainers currently serve in public safety, fire, police, military, EMS and rescue organizations.
Owner/ CEO
Doug Stephenson joined the fire service in 1991. Throughout his career he served urban, suburban and rural communities with paid, combination and volunteer organizations. Doug retired in 2018, having spent most of his professional career in metro Atlanta and Northwest Georgia, obtaining rank as a Lieutenant, Captain and Assistant Chief of Operations. He has an extensive background in specialized rescue training and made significant contributions to the development and implementation of the Technical Rescuer series of classes for the State of Georgia's Technical Rescue Program. Doug has numerous Pro Board certifications including Fire Instructor III, rope rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse rescue, confined space entry and rescue, cave rescue specialist and formerly as a NAEMT-Paramedic for 25 years. As if obtaining his Georgia Smoke Diver certification wasn't challenging enough, over the course of his career he led physical training for Georgia Smoke Divers, successfully completed Florida STARs course, as well as Mississippi and Indiana's Smoke Diver Programs. He was selected as a Task Force Leader in 1998 in response to the Florida wildfire disaster and again in 2005 as a search manager for the Hurricane Katrina response in New Orleans. For 25 years, Doug developed and led hands-on classes for the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Doug has many years of experience working at height. His credentials in the work at height industry include Telecommunications Competent Climber/Rescuer, SPRAT and IRATA Level III rope access certifications, and he is an OSHA Authorized Trainer in Construction Safety. He has performed construction, maintenance and inspection on bridges, dams, telecommunication towers, wind turbines, high-rise buildings and stadiums. As a work at height trainer, Doug was instrumental in implementing unique training concepts and practices that lead to his involvement in teaching industry professionals and emergency responders throughout North America as well as in Europe and the Middle East. From 2004-2018, Doug was selected as a principal member of a National Fire Protection Association committee where he worked to improve standards on rope rescue equipment, swiftwater and technical rescue protective ensembles. He continues to participate in several work-at-height standards committees and is often sought by rope and equipment manufacturers in research and development of new products.
Doug Stephenson joined the fire service in 1991. Throughout his career he served urban, suburban and rural communities with paid, combination and volunteer organizations. Doug retired in 2018, having spent most of his professional career in metro Atlanta and Northwest Georgia, obtaining rank as a Lieutenant, Captain and Assistant Chief of Operations. He has an extensive background in specialized rescue training and made significant contributions to the development and implementation of the Technical Rescuer series of classes for the State of Georgia's Technical Rescue Program. Doug has numerous Pro Board certifications including Fire Instructor III, rope rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse rescue, confined space entry and rescue, cave rescue specialist and formerly as a NAEMT-Paramedic for 25 years. As if obtaining his Georgia Smoke Diver certification wasn't challenging enough, over the course of his career he led physical training for Georgia Smoke Divers, successfully completed Florida STARs course, as well as Mississippi and Indiana's Smoke Diver Programs. He was selected as a Task Force Leader in 1998 in response to the Florida wildfire disaster and again in 2005 as a search manager for the Hurricane Katrina response in New Orleans. For 25 years, Doug developed and led hands-on classes for the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Doug has many years of experience working at height. His credentials in the work at height industry include Telecommunications Competent Climber/Rescuer, SPRAT and IRATA Level III rope access certifications, and he is an OSHA Authorized Trainer in Construction Safety. He has performed construction, maintenance and inspection on bridges, dams, telecommunication towers, wind turbines, high-rise buildings and stadiums. As a work at height trainer, Doug was instrumental in implementing unique training concepts and practices that lead to his involvement in teaching industry professionals and emergency responders throughout North America as well as in Europe and the Middle East. From 2004-2018, Doug was selected as a principal member of a National Fire Protection Association committee where he worked to improve standards on rope rescue equipment, swiftwater and technical rescue protective ensembles. He continues to participate in several work-at-height standards committees and is often sought by rope and equipment manufacturers in research and development of new products.