TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Gerard J. Kelder, Jr. has worked as a career Firefighter for over 20 years. Kelder
worked his way through the ranks, retiring as a Deputy Fire Chief. He served as
Officer in Charge of the Fire Prevention Office, Platoon Commander, and as
OIC of the City of Kingston, NY, Arson Squad. In the absence of the Fire Chief,
filled in as OIC of the department.
While a member of the Kingston Fire Department, he attended various training
courses, including, but not limited to, Fire-Building Codes, Hazardous Materials,
Fire Investigation, and Arson Investigation. His training was both in-service,
and while attending the NYS Fire Academy for numerous courses.
Mr. Kelder worked as an investigator for an Insurance Investigative Firm
for over 10 years on a part-time basis. His work involved insurance claims,
concerning Life/Health Insurance, Automobile Insurance, and Fire Insurance
inspections.
Mr. Kelder has attended various police courses, such as Homicide Investigations,
Burglary, Penal Law, Fingerprinting, and Latent Prints. He was certified by
New York State as a Police Officer in 1984. Mr. Kelder worked for the
Ulster County Sheriff's Department as a Special Deputy assigned to County
wide Fire Investigations. Kelder received Certification in 1984 as a
Patrol Deputy, and Detective.
In 1991 Kelder was employed by the Ulster Police Department as a Police Officer,
and has served as both a Uniformed Officer, and in plain clothes, working in
the Detective Division on major cases. He has also worked as a member
of a Narcotics Task Force.
Gerard J. Kelder, Jr. has served as an Instructor for new Police Officers and
Firefighters in Arson Awareness classes, for the Kingston Fire Department,
and the Kingston Police Academy. He also taught as an Associate Instructor
at the Columbia-Greene County Police Academy, and filled in as an instructor
at the Ulster County Community College in the Fire Technology Course.
Kelder has testified on numerous occasions in Criminal and Civil Courts
as an Expert in Fire Investigations, as well as testifying in numerous
courts in police related matters.
He has owned and operated Gerard J. Kelder Jr. Investigative Services
since May, 1989.