About Applied Response Training
Practical Training Backed by Real-World Experience
Applied Response Training provides professional emergency response education for individuals, businesses, and organizations throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. Our approach combines structured, hands-on instruction with practical experience in healthcare, safety, operations, and adult learning.
Training Built for Real Situations
Applied Response Training was created with a straightforward purpose: provide high-quality emergency response training that is practical, approachable, and relevant to the situations people may actually face.
Our classes are designed around more than completing a certification requirement. We want participants to understand what they are doing, why it matters, and how to respond with greater confidence when circumstances become stressful or uncertain.
Clinical experience brings an understanding of patient care, emergency response, and the realities of working in high-stakes environments. Technical and operational experience brings structure, consistency, preparation, and attention to detail.
Applied Response Training brings those perspectives together in a learning environment focused on practical skills and sound decision-making.
The People Behind Applied Response Training
Our leadership combines clinical experience with technical, operational, and instructional experience to create training that is both accurate and practical.
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Chad Nestell
Chad oversees training operations, course development, business systems, and instructional delivery for Applied Response Training. His professional background includes process engineering, quality, technical training, manufacturing operations, and continuous improvement, with an emphasis on creating processes that are practical, repeatable, and understandable.
As an American Red Cross instructor, he brings that same structured approach to emergency response education — breaking skills into manageable steps, providing opportunities for hands-on practice, and helping participants understand how to apply what they have learned when it matters.
His military service as a combat Marine also shaped the way he thinks about emergency response. He saw firsthand how quickly circumstances can change on the battlefield and how decisive action can make a meaningful difference. Those experiences reinforced a lesson that still influences his approach to training today: people do not need to perform every action perfectly to be useful in an emergency, but they do need enough understanding and confidence to act.
That perspective carries into the classroom. Preparation, repetition, and sound judgment can help turn hesitation into action when someone needs help.
Renee Dittmar
Renee brings more than 31 years of nursing experience to Applied Response Training, with extensive experience in neurological and stroke care, clinical education, program leadership, and quality improvement.
She currently serves as a Stroke Data Analyst with MyMichigan Health and previously served as Stroke Program Manager at MyMichigan Medical Center Saginaw.
Her professional credentials include Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN), Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN), and Advanced Stroke Coordinator – Board Certified (ASC-BC).
Her nursing background and professional credentials provide a deep base of clinical knowledge, but they also bring something equally important to the classroom: a caring and patient-centered approach. More than three decades in nursing have helped her develop strong listening skills, empathy, and an ability to recognize when someone may need additional explanation, reassurance, or a different way of approaching a skill.
Her clinical experience allows her to connect technical instruction with the human side of emergency response — understanding not only what should be done, but what those actions may mean for the person receiving care. Her instructional approach emphasizes accurate technique, thoughtful decision-making, and helping participants become more comfortable applying skills in real situations.
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Meet Our Instructional Team
Applied Response Training instructors are selected for their subject-matter knowledge, instructional ability, and commitment to providing a professional and supportive learning environment.
How We Approach Training
Practical Instruction
Training should be understandable and usable. We focus on clear instruction, hands-on practice, and helping participants connect course material to realistic situations.
Clinical Perspective
Strong emergency response education benefits from an understanding of what happens beyond the initial response. Clinical experience helps connect immediate actions with the larger continuum of care.
Prepared & Professional
Good training depends on preparation, consistency, and attention to detail. From equipment and course setup to instruction and documentation, we aim to provide a professional learning experience from start to finish.
Find the Training That Fits Your Needs
Whether you are looking for an individual certification course or training for a business or organization, Applied Response Training offers practical instruction designed to prepare participants for critical moments.