The Training Team

David Boucher’s path to crisis intervention runs through two of the most demanding environments a person can work in. He began his career in the Canadian Forces combat arms, where his drive and ability led him to the Special Forces and multiple overseas tours. From there he transitioned to firefighting — first with the Canadian Forces, then with Central York Fire Services, where he is currently an Acting Captain.

Within CYFS, David became a shift training instructor for rope rescue and ice water rescue, and a peer fitness trainer. He also spearheaded the creation of CYFS’s first Critical Incident Stress Management team, recruiting members and managing it through multiple operational debriefings and defusings. He is also a volunteer member of the York Regional CISM Team, working alongside York Region EMS and York Regional Police.

Outside the fire hall, David spent years as a professional coach and instructor for the Barrie Colts and Bradford Bulls Jr. A hockey programs, specializing in player development — and was selected as an Ontario Hockey League Player Development Program of Excellence coach. A father of three, he still volunteers coaching his children’s sports teams.

As a military veteran and emergency first responder with over 26 combined years of service, David has witnessed trauma from every angle — and brings that perspective directly into the courses he teaches.

Jarrod Marshall retired as a Fire Captain after 28 years with Markham Fire and Emergency Services, bringing nearly three decades of frontline emergency response to his work as an instructor. In 2024, in preparation for the next chapter of his professional life, he became an ICISF Approved Instructor certified to teach Group Crisis Intervention, Assisting Individuals in Crisis, Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis, and Crisis Informed Peer Para-Counseling. He also joined LivingWorks in 2023 as a certified ASIST trainer.

Jarrod is also a Red Cross-certified Professional Responder Instructor for Advanced First Aid and Emergency Medical Responder courses. His approach to every course is grounded in neuroscience: he conveys to students a fundamental understanding of the modern science behind human behaviour in crisis, and how best to mitigate mental health emergencies through precisely selected language and active listening.

Before any course, Jarrod collects information about participants — their background, any special considerations, and the industry-specific goals and outcomes their organization needs — to ensure the content is genuinely relevant to the people in the room.

Jeremy Brewster is a mental health advocate with more than twenty years of law enforcement experience in both the United Kingdom and Canada, combined with several years of mental health work as both a volunteer and instructor. His goal is to build on a lifetime of lived and professional experience to become a Registered Professional Counsellor, with a focus on counselling — a journey already well underway.

Jeremy currently volunteers as a peer supporter for Badge of Life Canada, the York Region Critical Incident Stress Management Team, and York Regional Police. He also volunteers with Inner Oak Therapy, a psychotherapy and counselling practice in Burlington, providing support to participants experiencing a range of cognitive conditions.

He is an ICISF Approved Instructor for Assisting Individuals in Crisis and facilitates the LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Jeremy’s unique position — bridging two decades in law enforcement with frontline mental health volunteer work — gives him a perspective that resonates powerfully with first responders and peer support workers.

Quinn Marshall has served with Central York Fire Services for 22 years and is currently a Captain, leading a team across a wide range of emergency management situations. Alongside his operational role, Quinn has built and led a newly formed team focused on Mindfulness Based Resiliency within CYFS — and has successfully expanded that program to organizations outside the fire service.

Quinn is a certified Mindfulness facilitator through the Global Minds Collective (formerly Mindfulness Without Borders), achieving that certification in 2020. He delivers the Mindful@Work™ program, which helps participants build mental and physical resilience, social and emotional intelligence, and practical tools for managing stress — tools that carry value both at work and in personal life.

In 2023 Quinn added Mental Health First Aid (Basic) and Critical Incident Stress Management certifications to his portfolio. He is currently continuing his mindfulness education toward additional certifications at the University of Toronto. His conviction is straightforward: every workplace, not just emergency services, has a genuine need for this kind of training.