Zach Lavender, PA-C
Zach Lavender, PA-C, MHS, brings more than 10 years of emergency medicine experience to First Line 360, including extensive clinical practice at Hartford Hospital, a major tertiary care and academic medical center, as well as experience across multiple Connecticut healthcare systems including MidState Medical Center, Middlesex Health, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, and Yale New Haven Hospital. His career in emergency medicine provides a firsthand understanding of how organizations and individuals respond when unexpected medical emergencies occur and how recognition, communication, preparation, and access to appropriate resources can influence an emergency response.
At First Line 360, he brings the emergency medicine perspective to organizational readiness assessments, helping identify practical opportunities to strengthen medical emergency recognition, response systems, emergency resources, and coordination with EMS.
Chris Anderson, MD, FACS
Chris Anderson, MD, FACS, brings extensive experience in trauma surgery, emergency surgical care, and surgical critical care to First Line 360. He serves as an Attending Physician and Assistant Professor in the Division of General Surgery, Trauma & Surgical Critical Care at Yale University School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital, where he provides care to acutely ill and injured patients at a Level I trauma center. Dr. Anderson completed his general surgery training at Tulane University School of Medicine, serving as Administrative Chief Resident, followed by fellowship training in Surgical Critical Care at Yale New Haven Hospital. He is board certified in both General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and is an Advanced Trauma Life Support instructor. In addition to his clinical practice, he educates medical students, residents, and fellows in the recognition and management of critically ill and injured patients.
At First Line 360, Dr. Anderson brings the trauma and critical-care perspective to organizational readiness, helping identify vulnerabilities in injury response, bleeding-control preparedness, emergency resources, staff response capabilities, and systems designed to support an effective response during high-acuity emergencies.
Alex Klein, MS, LCSW
Alex Klein is a clinical social worker, crisis management specialist, and leader in behavioral health services. With more than 20 years of experience, he has helped schools, treatment programs, families, and leadership teams navigate behavioral health emergencies and complex crises.
Alex is the founder and executive director of Shoreline Therapy Center, a multisite practice, and has held clinical, training, and leadership roles at Grove School, a premier residential treatment facility. His expertise spans crisis management at every level of a system, from assessing an individual’s immediate safety needs to strengthening an organization’s policies, communication, and response capabilities.
Alex takes a systems-based approach to solving crises. He considers how clinical needs, relationships, leadership decisions, and available resources shape both the immediate response and what happens afterward. At First Line 360, he helps organizations prepare their teams, make coordinated decisions under pressure, and support recovery after a crisis.
Rich Casey, Jr., MS
With a distinguished background in law enforcement, military service, and specialized tactical operations, Rich Casey brings extensive real-world experience to public safety, security, and active threat preparedness consulting. His law enforcement career includes supervisory leadership, SWAT team operations and command, and service with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. As a former United States Marine Corps sergeant with combat experience in Afghanistan, he developed a strong foundation in security operations, mission planning, logistics, and crisis response. He is also a POST-certified firearms instructor, defensive tactics/use-of-force instructor, and active aggressor instructor, with additional training in crisis intervention.
Rich combines this operational experience with a Bachelor of Arts in History, a Master of Science in Education, and Connecticut State Department of Education teaching certification. This combination of field experience and educational expertise allows him to translate complex security and emergency-management concepts into practical, understandable strategies. His consulting approach focuses on helping organizations identify vulnerabilities, prepare personnel, strengthen emergency response plans, and develop effective strategies for active threats and critical incidents. His goal is simple: to help organizations move beyond having a plan on paper and develop the knowledge, preparation, and confidence needed to respond when seconds matter.
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