We Protect Hotels Because We Lived the Chaos Others Ignore
Salvador Bermudez
Workplace Violence Prevention Expert & PreventIQ Founder
Sal is a California Correctional Lieutenant specializing in workplace violence prevention and founder of PreventIQ, an SB 553 workplace violence prevention training company for California employers, with deep expertise in hotels and hospitality. With over 18 years of leadership experience as a Correctional Lieutenant at CSP-LAC (California State Prison – Los Angeles County), Sal has prevented more than 500 violent incidents with zero major injuries, establishing a proven track record in violence de-escalation and prevention.
As a McAfee Institute Certified Workplace Violence and Threat Specialist (WVTS) and California Department of Corrections certified Trainer for Trainers, Sal brings unparalleled real-world experience to workplace safety. His proprietary PREVENT Method™ – a systematic approach to violence prevention developed through thousands of high-risk interventions – forms the foundation of PreventIQ’s revolutionary training programs.
Sal’s commitment to hotel worker safety is deeply personal. Inspired by his mother’s experiences facing workplace harassment during her career in hotels, he founded PreventIQ to ensure hospitality workers have access to practical, life-saving safety training that goes beyond compliance checkboxes. His unique background bridging corrections and hospitality provides hotel employers with training that addresses real-world scenarios their teams face daily.
Currently serving as a candidate for CCPOA (California Correctional Peace Officers Association) supervisory chapter vice president, Sal continues to advocate for workplace safety across industries. He specializes in California SB 553 compliance, workplace violence prevention planning, Cal/OSHA requirements, and creating psychologically safe work environments for hospitality teams.
Sarah Martinez
Take Sarah Martinez, a 75-room hotel in San Bernardino. Like many managers, Sarah told herself incidents happened “at other hotels.” Then a violent outburst shattered that belief—and a Cal/OSHA notice reminded her she had 47 days to comply or face up to $20,000 fines. At first, she resisted: too costly, too time-consuming, too much pushback. But after PreventIQ training: Her staff grew confident instead of fearful. Turnover dropped 50%, saving $87,500. Insurance premiums fell 15%. She avoided $4.5M in potential fines. Her words now echo the mission: “Violence isn’t inevitable. It’s preventable. We just needed someone who had prevented it to show us how.”
What makes Prevent IQ Different
