Meet Our Instructors
Mike Guido
Owner & Co-Founder
In addition to his work at Dickinson College, Mike is the training specialist for Cumberland County Adult and Juvenile Probation Departments as well as the Cumberland County Domestic Relations Department. Mike is a master instructor for the Pennsylvania Probation and Parole firearms Commission, lead instructor for the Municipal Police Officer Education and Training Commission (MPOETC), and responsible for the development and presentation of varied training across the state. Mike’s experience ranges from the academy level to in-service training for police and probation officers. Mike also teaches US military, SWAT teams, and hospital and EMS personnel.
Mike is a frequent guest speaker, including state FOP, Penn State Dickinson School of Law, and Penn Prime Insurance Company ( to mention only a few) on various police issues including use of force and force justification within the police profession. He also provides expert witness opinion and testimony for attorneys and law firms across the state.
Michael J. Guido is the owner and co-founder of MG Tactical Advantage, LLC in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He has been a police officer since 1979 and started training police officers in 1985. Mike is currently the Captain of Operations for the Dickinson College Department of Public Safety. As the Operations Captain of this 13-man police force, Mike oversees the day today police functions of the department and creates, teaches or approves all training for the department. Mike is also responsible for departmental policy and procedure development, implementation, review and revision. Mike reviews all department force response cases, and remediates if necessary.
In August 2008 Mike retired from the Carlisle Borough Police Department after 29 years of service. During his time there he was promoted through the ranks from patrolman to corporal and finally to Sergeant. Mike became the Carlisle Police Department training officer in 1990. He was also a team leader and trainer for the Cumberland County Special Response Team.
Mike Hurley
Mike Hurley, a Pennsylvania Registered School Business Official (PRSBO), has served as the Director of Safety and Security for the Carlisle Area School District since 1985. Mike also holds the position of School Services Officer for the Cumberland County Department of Public Safety and as operations chief for the Emergency Operations Center. Mike has over 30 years of experience in Emergency Management Planning, and was founder of the Cumberland County Safe Schools Association. The Association brings together over 30 school districts, law enforcement departments, and first responder agencies, with the goal of coordinating responses to school emergencies. Mike served as president of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) in 2006-2007, and currently chairs the association’s School Safety Committee.
Robin Guido
Robin Guido is a Registered Nurse with more than 34 years of medical and emergency services experience. Starting as a volunteer firefighter and EMT and then years as a dispatcher and elected official, Robin brings varied training and experience to MG Tactical. With a desire to help others and a passion for problem solving, Robin handles most of the office duties, and at times assists with the hands on assessments and training.
Mike Porembka
Mike Porembka began his career in 1998 as a Social Studies teacher at the Greater Latrobe School District. Over the course of his career he held various positions within the District before retiring as the Superintendent of School in January 2025.
As a Central Office Administrator Mike took the lead with Safety and Security by starting a School Resource Officer program at Latrobe in 2012. Additionally, he was instrumental in founding the Greater Latrobe School District Police Department, which includes 12 full-time Officers, and hiring the District’s first Director of School Safety and Security.
Mike has served as a Director on multiple Boards including the Greater Latrobe Partners in Education Foundation, GLSD Art Conservation Trust, Adams Memorial Library, Greater Latrobe Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Latrobe and the Westmoreland County Community College. He is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors at Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling.
A graduate of Saint Vincent College and Gannon University, Mike lives in Western PA with his wife Megan, son Gunner and daughter Griffin.
Denny Fry
Dennis Fry began his in career in 1998 at Cumberland County Domestic Relations where he worked as an Enforcement Officer. In 2008 he transferred to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s. While at the Sheriff’s Office, he was and FTO and an instrumental part of the firearms, use of force and scenario-based training. He achieved the rank of Corporal in 2014. Dennis became an operator on the Cumberland County Special Response Team, a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team in 2011. In 2019 he was a named a SRT
Team Leader. Since 2014, Dennis has been an instructor at the Pennsylvania Sheriff/Deputy Sheriff’s academy. He instructs firearms and security. In 2022, Dennis retired from Cumberland County and is currently a Patrolman with East Pennsboro Township Police Department. He continues to attend trainings that focus on firearms, SWAT tactics, SWAT leadership, defensive tactics and proactive patrol.
Mike Varner
officer, Supervisor and Acting Chief. He also coordinated all officer and staff safety training and was the department's Senior Firearms Instructor. During his tenure as a Probation and Parole Officer Mike also was an instructor for the PA. Alcohol Highway Safety Program.
In 1998 Mike became an instructor with the County Probation and Parole Officers Firearm Education and Training Commission. This included instructing not only basic firearm safety and qualification but also various courses in Officer safety and situational awareness.
Mike has been employed with MG Tactical Advantage for the past 15 years.
Mike began his career as a Probation and Parole Officer in 1979 with the Cumberland County Probation and Parole Department. He supervised both juvenile and adult offenders until 1996 when the Department split into separate entities at which time he opted to work in the adult system until his retirement after 36 years of combined service. During his time with Cumberland County Adult Probation and Parole, Mike held the positions of line
Jillian Swartz
Jill attended Penn State University for Administration of Justice and Wildlife and Fisheries Science. From there she started her career in Law Enforcement as a Deputy Waterways Conservation Officer with the Pa Fish and Boat Commission. In 2015, Jill was hired as an Officer with Dickinson College Public Safety. Here she is a certified Field Training Officer, Trauma Informed Title IX Investigator, Active Intruder Awareness Trainer, and First Year Mentor.
In her spare time she is also a Real Estate Agent for The Knox Bowermaster Hovetter Team of Berkshire Hathaway.
John Haggerty
With almost 30 years of law enforcement experience and a Bachelor’s Degree from Purdue University, John brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to MG Tactical Advantage.
John is currently a patrol sergeant for the Dickinson College Department of Public safety where he manages patrol officers and responds to calls for service. John is also a Title IX Investigator for the Department.
Before his years at Dickinson, John was an officer with Carlisle Borough Police Department and served on the Cumberland County SRT (SWAT) team as a hostage negotiator for 13 years and as a negotiation team leader for seven.
Prior to his career in law enforcement, John worked in the private sector for several famous corporations, to include QVC, The Vanguard Group, and Walt Disney World.
Doug Moyer
Doug Moyer began his career in 1972 in public safety communications at the Cumberland County Office of Emergency Preparedness, which was later renamed the Cumberland County Department of Public Safety. In 1995, after changing careers from public communications to corporate security, Doug returned to the Cumberland County Department of Public Safety as a 9-1-1 Staff Development Program Manager. In 2008, Doug accepted a position of Watch Officer with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Doug retired in 2015.
Eric Sands
Eric Sands has 22 years of educational experience ranging from classroom teacher to the central office. Most recently he has served as the Director of Operations for the Carlisle Area School District, overseeing the CASD School Police force, and the Director of Safety and Security for the New Story Group, working with staff and students across 70+ locations in 6 states. Additionally, Eric has served on the Junior Leadership Cumberland committee, Little Lights Learning Center board, Carlisle United Methodist Church Leadership Council, and
Volunteers in Mission as a mission trip leader.
As a PCCD certified School Safety and Security Trainer, one of Eric assets is his experience with the special needs population. In his positions, he has worked with pre-K students through post high-school aged students in all types of education settings.
Joe Hogarth
Joseph Hogarth is the Chief of Police and Borough Manager for the Borough of Penbrook in Dauphin County Pennsylvania. A 29-year law enforcement veteran, Chief Hogarth previously worked for the Carlisle Borough Police Department as a patrol sergeant, training coordinator and Cumberland County SRT team leader.
Joe brings a wealth of experience in law enforcement, training, tactics, and management as well as insights into local government and dealing with elected officials. Specializing in use of force, report writing and firearms Chief Hogarth has instructed thousands of basic training and in-service officers across the Commonwealth.
In addition to his law enforcement work, Joe serves on the Carlisle Christian Academy board of directors, and is board chairman of the Susquehanna Township EMS organization.
Bill Cline
William T. “Bill” Cline passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at his home. He was a cherished member of the MG Tactical family. Bill is dearly missed and fondly remembered.
Bill Cline is retired from the US Army after serving the last 17 years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician and his first 3 years with the US Marine Corps as an Infantryman. He served as an EOD Team Leader during Operation Desert Storm/Shield, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also served with several units that supported the FBI, ATF, US Secret Service, British Army EOD, and the Department of Energy and Special Operations throughout the Department of Defense. Bill is employed as a Deputy Sheriff with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. He also serves as an SRT team member with the Cumberland County Special Response Team and is employed by Penn State University as a Defensive Tactics Instructor, Firearms Instructor at the Pennsylvania Deputy Sheriff’s academy at State College.