A.J. Calabro has served in public safety since 1989, building a career grounded in operational experience, leadership, and high-level instruction across fire, EMS, and law enforcement disciplines. He began as a professional firefighter and EMT, aggressively pursuing advanced medical and tactical training early in his career. In 1994, he earned his National Registry Paramedic certification and continued to expand his skill set while working for both a city fire department and a county EMS service.

A.J.’s medical career progressed into high-acuity environments, including service as a critical care flight paramedic and work in a hospital emergency department. His instructional foundation was established during this period as he became an American Heart Association CPR Instructor and a state-certified fire service instructor, responsible for training and mentoring personnel at multiple levels.

Rising through the ranks of the fire service, A.J. promoted from firefighter to engineer and, in 2003, to captain. As a company officer, he focused on leadership, operational readiness, and performance under stress. Shortly thereafter, he was selected by the city police department’s SWAT Commander to design and implement a dedicated SWAT Medic program. After successfully establishing the position and operational protocols, A.J. attended the law enforcement academy in 2004 to further integrate medical and tactical capabilities.

Following the academy, A.J. voluntarily completed the entire police department Field Training Officer program on his own time, ultimately earning authorization to operate as a solo reserve police officer. In 2012, after 23 years of combined fire and EMS service, he retired from the fire service and transitioned to full-time law enforcement.

In law enforcement, A.J. continued to develop as a leader and instructor. He was selected as a Field Training Officer in 2017, responsible for developing and evaluating new officers. In 2019, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. In early 2020, he began working criminal interdiction operations along Interstate 10, applying proactive enforcement strategies and advanced investigative techniques. By late 2021, he was selected to lead the newly formed Interstate Criminal Enforcement Team as its sergeant.

A.J. currently serves as a sergeant with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Interstate Criminal Enforcement Team. He is also the owner and lead instructor of Tier One Training Group, where he delivers training informed by decades of real-world operational experience across high-risk environments.