About Tinosa, Inc
Tinosa, Inc.--About Us:
Tinosa is a San Diego based technical services company supporting the Department of Defense as well as civilian organizations in all matters relevant to life support and high-pressure gas distribution systems. Tinosa has a mature core capability to provide testing, installation, maintenance, repair, and field-testing for breathing air systems and components (i.e., for firefighters), diver’s air, oxygen, nitrogen, helium, mixed gas (HEO2, N2O2) and hyperbaric systems. Tinosa’s capabilities include the provision of depot level maintenance and repair for all US Navy certified diving systems to include breathing air compressors. Tinosa is a Factory Authorized BAUER Compressor Sales and Service Center.
Tinosa was founded by Tim and Jacki Kiley in 2010. In April 2023, AFECO, Inc. (DBA: FIRE ETC.), a California corporation based in San Diego, acquired Tinosa. Tim and Dave Duea, President of FIRE ETC., had a working relationship for over 20 years. FIRE ETC. is excited to have Tinosa a part of the FIRE ETC. family. Click here to learn more about Fire ETC.
Why the name Tinosa?
We named the company Tinosa to pay homage to the U.S. Navy and two of its submarines named after this black, poisonous, tropical fish—the Tinosa. The first, USS Tinosa (SS-283) was built and commissioned during World World II. She served valiantly in the Pacific theater during the war performing twelve war patrols and was credited with sinking sixteen enemy ships.
The second was a nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Tinosa (SSN-606) which served the fleet admirably from 1964-1992 with numerous successful deployments in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Her most notable contributions to U.S. Naval history however, was her association with safety and her contributions to the genesis of the SUBSAFE Quality Assurance Program of the U.S. Navy. The Tinosa was one of the first submarines retrofitted to address the SUBSAFE elements created after the tragic loss of the USS Thresher (SSN-593) in 1963, after succumbing to catastrophic flooding within the internal engineering spaces causing her to sink in 8,400 feet, taking the lives of 129 sailors. Investigations revealed that she sank due to a combination of poor design, materials, as well as flawed maintenance procedures to the salt water and main ballast tank blow piping systems along other critical subsystems. The SUBSAFE Quality Assurance Program was created to apply extensive rigor in design, manufacturing, operation and maintenance practices to critical systems throughout the submarine. A second foundation called the Deep Submergence, Scope of Certification (DSS-SOC) was adopted following yet another tragic event that led to the loss of five divers during Navy Special Warfare training from a specialized diving lock-out system. DSS-SOC built in additional requirements to the SUBSAFE requirements on the US Navy’s deep submergence and certified diving systems. Today, the SUBSAFE Program is recognized as one of the greatest quality assurance programs of all time and has been adopted by NASA and numerous commercial maritime certification organizations and foreign navies as the standard in their diving and submarine quality assurance programs.
The Tinosa name is synonymous with and stands to remind us of the importance of safety and first time quality assurance in the critical work we perform on diving and firefighting life support systems every day. At Tinosa, our business and mission is equipping the courageous with precision life support systems. As such, quality assurance IS a life and death matter.
Tinosa, Inc.—Mission:
• Equip The Courageous (“ETC”) with precision life support systems to save lives and property.
Tinosa, Inc.—Vision:
• A Safer America, due in part to the beloved Tinosa team successfully executing its mission.
Tinosa, Inc.—Values:
• Work Hard.
• Everyday work hard to make yourself and the company better.
• “If it were easy, it would be someone else’s job.”
• Serve Customers.
• We listen to the customer and find solutions to their needs.
• “Without customers, there would be no company.”
• Solve Problems.
• Spotting an issue is the easy part. We solve problems.
• “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
• Do the Right Thing.
• As accountable professionals, we can be trusted to do the right thing.
• “No virtue is more universally accepted as a test of good character than trustworthiness.”
• Continue to Learn.
• We love to learn and grow. We learn from our mistakes—and ideally they’re not catastrophic.
• “Every kick in the butt is a boost.”
• Be a Humble, Team Player.
• There is no limit to what a person can do or where they can go if they don’t mind who gets the credit.
• “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6
• Be a Grateful Family Member.
• Serving the courageous is a honor and we are grateful to part of the first responder, defense and fire service family/community.
• As a second-generation family-owned business, we care for one another and share the load and the profits.
• “It’s a big job, but many hands make light work.”
Tinosa--Leadership:
Justin Anderson
General Manager – Tinosa, Inc.
Justin hails from small towns throughout the rugged Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. It was stories of the vast seas and exotic far away explorations however, that beckoned him to join the U.S. Navy upon graduating high school. What was supposed to be 4-year stint turned into an unforgettable and rewarding 30-year career with experiences that forged his passion to continue to serve. During his naval career, Justin served as a Navy Diver supporting and leading an array of diving, hyperbaric and deep submergence operations to include counternarcotic interdiction, Naval Special Warfare, Marine Mammal System, harbor clearance and deep ocean salvage missions, along with tours performing underwater ship repair and submarine rescue operations. Justin completed numerous deployments to the Mediterranean, North Atlantic, Eastern and Western Pacific Oceans, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf, including tours supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Following his Naval career, Justin continued his service as a defense contractor for Serco-North America, supporting Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) as a Diving and Hyperbaric Analyst performing quality assurance and compliance functions for the U.S. Navy’s only active deep submergence submarine rescue program.
Justin’s passion for equipping the courageous, values, and extensive leadership and vast experience in diving operations, maintenance, and life support system quality assurance were a perfect fit for leading Tinosa, Inc. as its General Manager. Justin’s passion for quality assurance matched perfectly with Tinosa, Inc. and their critical mission of providing precision services and repairs on diving, hyperbaric and firefighting life support equipment; where excellence is the only option to “ensuring the courageous” come home to their families each and every night.
Justin serves on the Board of Directors and as Treasurer for the Imperial Beach Art’s Bureau collaborating with public and private entities to promote public art projects, and on the Board of Directors for the Southwest Wetland’s Interpretive Association (SWIA) providing conservation, research, and restoration of the region’s remaining wetland habitat. Justin also serves as the Diving Program Manager for the National Marine Mammal Foundation, providing training and consultancy for 30+ divers.
Justin holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Colorado State University and a Master of Business for Veterans from University of Southern California.
Justin lives in Imperial Beach, California with his wife of 24 years, Leticia, and their two daughters who he loves to share his time with in their passions of the visual arts, musical theater, and the great outdoors.