A little of who we are, professionally and personally.

I fell in love with medicine during my first TCCC course in 2013. My newfound passion led me out of the Marines to pursue a career in EMS. Since then, I've been fortunate enough to work as a paramedic all over the country as well as overseas. I started Minuteman EMS after five seasons of working as a paramedic on wildland fires. My intention is to create a company of absolute studs who pursue excellence not only in their career but in everyday life. Since I'm from South Dakota, naturally my main hobbies are fishing and hunting with my chocolate lab Quinn — plus skiing, climbing, hiking, and most of the outdoor activities.

I got my first taste of the medical world during a CLS course in the Marines. After separating in 2016 following five years of service, I spent three years studying electrical engineering at SDSM&T while working as an Avionics Technician — until I realized calculus and I were never going to be friends, and engineering wasn't where my passion was. EMT and Paramedic school changed that. I fell in love with emergency medicine from day one as an EMT and opened so many doors of opportunity. My first fire season was Minuteman's inaugural 2021 season, running as a single resource. I've been a manager here since, and these days I also help build out The Journeyman (TJM) as the Co-Founder and CTO, the operations platform we use to run our resources, checklists, and deployments. Ropes and technical rescue are where my heart is after the years— give me a rigging problem and I'm happy for hours. Back home in Rapid City, you wont find me hopefully I'm traveling not during fire season. If I am home you can find me fishing, gaming, building tech, reading, or chasing down whatever new skill has caught my attention that week.

With a decade and a half in various EMS settings, I think its safe to assume 2 things. I am truly passionate about prehospital cinicianship, and i belong to the streets. Absolutely in love with all things rescue, Technical, Rope, Austere, ETC. I found my home at Minute Man on my second ever fire, on my first season of wildland fire and never looked back. Surrounded by the quaility and caliber of people who both enhance the things you're good at, motivate you to improve your short commings. Since shortly after joining it has become my goal to try and foster that enviorment for everyone within the Minute Man family. Id like to think i'm here to take the hard lessons learned and typical pitfalls of mondern EMS both 911, wildland, and everything in-between and do my best to see we not only DO NOT fall into them, but creature a culture, and systems where we never seem them.

I graduated from Minnesota State University in 2022 and earned my EMT and Rope Technician certifications shortly thereafter. That same summer, I began my career as an EMT with Minuteman EMS on the Pine Ridge Reservation. In 2024, I transitioned into the wildland fire setting, combining my passion for emergency response, technical skills, and working in demanding outdoor environments. I was born and raised in Rapid City, South Dakota, and now call Phoenix, Arizona, home. I have a strong passion for rope systems and rope rescue, and I enjoy any opportunity to put those skills to use. Outside of work, I love traveling, exploring new places, and spending time outdoors with my partner, Alli. Whether I'm on the fireline, training with ropes, or hiking a new trail, I enjoy challenging myself, learning new skills, and embracing adventure.

Matt began his emergency services career in 1998, in King County, WA. He has spent nearly three decades serving as a firefighter, paramedic, instructor, and rescue technician. His background includes structural firefighting, wildland fire operations, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and emergency medical services. He has worked in both career and volunteer fire departments and remains active in firefighter training and leadership development as a founding member of Stone Face F.O.O.L.S. in Rapid City, South Dakota. Outside of emergency services, Matt enjoys rock climbing, mountaineering, long-distance hiking, and exploring remote landscapes. His travels and outdoor pursuits have taken him throughout North America, Europe, and Africa, where he has gained experience in a wide range of environments, cultures, and terrain. In addition to MMEMS, Matt currently serves with two County SAR teams. One of them as a REMS member and the other as a Special Resource Climber, where he supports search and rescue missions, rock climber rescue, and technical rope operations in austere environments.