The leadership of BLU-MED Response Systems, a division of Alaska Structures Inc., has over 250 years of combined corporate experience in the fabric shelter and deployable medical facility industries.

Don Diesel joined the Alaska Structures team in July 2004 with the launch of the BLU-MED Response Systems Division to provide deployable medical facility technology to government agencies and civilian organizations. A retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Don has a doctorate in Physiology from Colorado State University.

During his military career, Dr. Diesel was key in the development and operational implementation of the Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) system. Assigned to the Air Expeditionary Forces Battlelab from 1998 to 2000, he was a member of the USAF Tiger Team that developed the EMEDS program. In his subsequent position as a squadron commander of aeromedical operations from 2000 to 2002, he was responsible for directing clinical, occupational, public health, and medical readiness activities at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Following the September 11th terrorist attack, he deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar as Medical Group Commander over one of the first operational EMEDS where he directed healthcare services supporting over 1,500 deployed military personnel. Dr. Diesel also has eight years of experience in USAF medical acquisition and test programs, with assignments ranging from the Air Force Research Laboratory to USAF's Medical Modernization Division.

In his current position, Dr. Diesel directs sales, production, delivery, and customer service of disaster medical facilities and leads development of new systems and capabilities. Dr. Diesel maintains operational experience with disaster response deployments to Sri Lanka following the 2004 Tsunami, Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake, China following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and to Haiti and Chile following the 2010 earthquakes, in which he directed deployment and operation of disaster response medical facilities.

Eddie Casso Lopez joined Alaska Structures when the BLU-MED Response Systems Division was launched in July 2004. Mr. Casso Lopez has over twenty years of Military Medical experience, including Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine, Ambulance Services, and Staff Development. His medical field experience spans over 14 medical deployments to foreign countries totaling over 48 months as an Independent Duty Medical Technician. He deployed following the September 11th terrorist attack as Superintendent of one of the first operational EMEDS and established bare base medical operations at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, supporting over 1,500 deployed military personnel.

Mr. Casso Lopez's management experience includes duties as a Medical Squadron Superintendent, managing a squadron budget and 70 personnel over a three-year period. He has extensive experience with development and execution of numerous military medical deployable platforms. He was a member of the USAF Tiger Team responsible for development and validation of the EMEDS system. Additionally, following military retirement, Mr. Casso Lopez worked for three years with the AF Medical Evaluation Support Activity where he investigated new medical technologies. During this period he participated in numerous projects, including modernization of the AF medical decontamination system and the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility equipment package.

In his current position, Mr. Casso Lopez is an integral member of the team responsible for system development, production, delivery, and customer service of all BLU-MED disaster medical facilities. Mr. Casso Lopez regularly deploys to establish medical facilities in the wake of disasters worldwide, including the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, the 2008 China earthquake, and the 2011 Joplin, Missouri Tornado.

Christopher Lake holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and an undergraduate degree in Health Care Administration. He has experience in mobile field hospitals, public health, fire department administration, risk management, environmental health and is clinically trained as a paramedic. In 2004, Dr. Lake received congressional recognition for his work developing mobile field hospital facilities while at the Nevada Hospital Association. He later proved the capabilities of these disaster medical facilities when he led a relief effort in Gulfport, MS following Hurricane Katrina (2005) at the request of the US Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary. Dr. Lake established a 100-bed disaster medical facility during this response that remained operational for over 60 days and treated more than 7,300 patients.

As a subject matter expert, he provides information and technical assistance for many congressional members, state governments and hospital associations, specific to hospital preparedness, surge capacity and public health preparedness. He currently serves on DHHS' Healthcare Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) as the Co-Chairman of the Direct Patient Care sub-council and from 2006-2009 served on DHHS' Partnership for Critical Infrastructure Security (PCIS) as the healthcare sector's representative. Dr. Lake continues to be a frequent speaker at national conferences and is often called upon to provide expert testimony related to homeland security and health preparedness efforts.

Dr. Lake is a long-time resident of California and is familiar with the EMS and disaster response systems of the state. He directs BLU-MED's California operations, established in 2007, which consists of: planning, operations, maintenance, logistics and supply chain management for the world's largest civilian mobile field hospital program. Dr. Lake is responsible to maintain the program in a manner that ensures the three fully equipped, 200-bed field hospitals are available and ready to deploy within hours of being requested. During periods of emergency operations, Dr. Lake transitions into a response role with several essential emergency duties on behalf of BLU-MED and the State of California.

Homero Elizondo joined BLU-MED in September of 2008. Mr. Elizondo retired from the Air Force in 2007 with over 23 years of service as a medical technician. He has a diverse medical background including Emergency Care, Ambulance Services, Emergency Response, Field Medicine, Field Sanitation and Management. He participated in four major military deployments to three countries totaling over eighteen months in austere field conditions. He also led a team of cadre members for the planning and evaluation of field and mass casualty response exercises in preparation for war and major disasters.

Mr. Elizondo served four years at the USAF Research Laboratory, where he participated in the test and evaluation of aircrew life support equipment, and collected and analyzed data during altitude, acceleration and thermal research studies. As a squadron superintendent, he led a team of 75 personnel. Additionally, he served as the superintendent of the USAF Medical Evaluation Support Activity where he supervised all support and logistics efforts during test and evaluation of new medical technologies.

Mr. Elizondo is the Training and Service Specialist for BLU-MED, providing initial and recurrent training to our customers in the establishment of disaster medical systems. Additionally, he plays an integral role in system development of BLU-MED facilities, and regularly deploys as part of the BLU-MED team in response to disasters such as Hurricane Ike in 2008, Haiti Earthquake in 2010, Chile Earthquake in 2010, and Japan Earthquake/Tsunami in 2011.

Michael Vesper is the Director of Research and Development and Engineering for Alaska Structures, Inc. Mr. Vesper has played a key role in designing the response system for the BLU-MED division. The mobile disaster relief shelter package is a system offering power generation, power distribution, lighting, HVAC, negative pressure systems and many other options.

During his 24-year career in the industry, Mr. Vesper has lead design teams in developing commercial and military HVAC systems, shelter systems, power distribution systems, clean room filtration systems, and dehumidification systems for the military, commercial and space industries.

During his 5-year tenure with Alaska Structures, Mr. Vesper has been a driving force in developing new products that expanded the company's product offerings. Mr. Vesper has implemented 2.5, 5 and 10 ton HVAC product lines, designed improvements to shelter systems, designed several power distribution systems, and designed portions of the BLU-MED package, including the negative pressure system that allows non-infected patients to be separated from infected patients so that contagious diseases are not transmitted. Mr. Vesper has conducted numerous first article environmental and ambient testing for both the HVAC and Shelter systems. This testing was vital in proving that the systems could sustain extreme conditions and still operate efficiently. Each system is designed in accordance with industry guidelines.

Mr. Vesper was part of the Alaska Structures team that set up shelter packages in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina, and Pakistan after the earthquake. The shelters were used for medical facilities, housing, schools, churches and community buildings.

Frank Jenkins joined the Alaska Structures Team in August 2004. Mr. Jenkins has a Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from New Mexico State University. His specializations are in Computer Hardware Design and Digital Signal Processing with a minor in Mathematics. He also has an amateur HAM radio license allowing for communication in the US during all situations.

In his current position, Mr. Jenkins is in charge of electrical system design, prototyping, testing and production of all electrical systems. He has created and produced electrical systems for military, medical and commercial uses. He has designed systems for single shelters to 500-man camps. Mr. Jenkins was part of the design team for the BLU-MED electrical system, ECU and Negative Pressure Isolation systems. He is also a trainer on electrical systems for small to large shelter systems.

Mr. Jenkins directed and set up several hundred shelter systems in disaster areas of Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, and shelter systems used as schools, clinics and homes in Pakistan following the 2005 earthquake and most recently was an integral part in the set-up in Japan after the 2011 earthquake.