Our People

A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dominic Velasquez has been an active emergency responder since 2003 when he joined the local fire department. During his fire department career, he has served in the Technical Rescue Division for 17 years. He was also a member of FEMA’s NMTF1 until the team was relocated in 2015. Dominic still serves as a Captain in the Albuquerque Fire/Rescue Department.

Dominic became involved with Roco Rescue in 2005 after completing Roco’s FastTrack 120 course. He primarily worked CSRT standby rescue for Roco and in 2013 was named CSRT Crew Chief. Also, in 2013, Dominic completed Roco’s Instructor Development Course and was selected as a Roco Rescue Instructor. Up until 2022, Dominic worked both CSRT and taught classes for Roco. In 2022, he was asked to take on the New Mexico CSRT Regional Manager role. You’ll still find him teaching a class or working a job as duty calls.

There are many rewarding aspects of working for Roco, according to Dominic. When working a CSRT job and the client expresses that they are glad we are there, and they wouldn’t want to do that job without us – that means a lot. As an instructor, Dominic enjoys watching students grow from barely tying knots on Monday to completing a difficult confined space rescue while wearing SCBA on Friday.

Lastly, Dominic adds that he enjoys the people. He states, “I have had the pleasure of meeting so many good people that I otherwise wouldn’t have if I didn’t work for Roco. This includes both co-workers and clients.”

In his home life, Dominic enjoys riding dirt bikes, flying airplanes, and running away to a cabin in the mountains with his family. He and his wife Valerie have been married for 28 years (since high school!) and are the proud parents of three grown children and two grandchildren. He is also continuing his education. Dominic holds an associate degree in Fire Science and is currently working on a bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management.

Dominic states that for him, “Roco’s mission is to provide our clients with the services and training that will ensure the safety of their employees while they perform their job duties.” Roco is very fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated individual in its ranks.