Where are you from? I actually grew up here. 

What do you do for work? I am a physician for St John’s, and I do family medicine. Both at the family medical clinic and the urgent care clinic.

What do you do in your free time? I do a variety of things…a lot of the things people love living in Jackson for. I ski, do some hiking, and I’m also a pilot so I fly whenever I get an opportunity. 

Do you fly privately for fun, or for a purpose in particular? I’ve got a small plane that I fly a little bit for travel, and also I fly on a volunteer basis as a pilot for SAR for the Civil Air Patrol. It’s kind of the volunteer part of the US Air Force, so we have an airplane here in Jackson that we use for searches and such. 

How long have you been a part of JH Fire/EMS and in what capacity? I think this is my 12th year anniversary. First was as a regular firefighter and regular first responder, and now as an ADO and a Lieutenant at Station 7.

What made you want to join originally? You know, I had been working as an EMT all through college, even before I decided to go to medical school, and I also was a volunteer firefighter in Colorado for a little while. That was actually part of what led me to want to go to medical school in the first place: my experience in EMS beforehand.

What are your future goals in the department? Well, I want to continue as long as I can: I’m not getting any younger! I’m probably one of the older members in the department right now I would imagine, so I’m trying to keep up with the young guys and girls as best I can. It’s such a great group of people, I really like the people who are in the department; I think we have just an amazing resource for the community. 

What is your favorite part of volunteering? It’s the people. It’s also different than my day job, which I enjoy. It’s nice to be able to respond to people in emergencies and not be their physician but to be there as a first responder.

What would you say is the most challenging? The most challenging part for the department right now is recruitment and retention and trying to maintain adequate numbers of people. It’s really a critical juncture for the department. People now, to be able to afford rent for a one bedroom apartment, you’ve got to work two or three jobs just to be able to do that. So I think people who are volunteers have less and less time to be able to volunteer and it isn’t any easier for the paid staff. 

What advice would you give new recruits? Hang onto your housing! I also think you get out of the department what you put into it. If you show up for training and show up for calls, you’ll get a lot out. I think if you’re someone who doesn’t have the ability or the bandwidth to do that, it might not be the right opportunity for you. 

What is the most valuable trait for someone to have in this line of work, in the department, or in emergency services in general? I think the ability to think on your feet and improvise and the ability to be flexible and creative. Every situation is unique so you’ve got to be able to figure out how you’re going to deal with every situation. Every call is unique, every call is different.

In terms of family and friends, how do you manage their expectations with leaving on calls all the time? I’m lucky that my family has been super flexible about that and understanding when I have to bolt out at a moment’s notice for a call. They’ve been fabulous. I’ve got an awesome wife and a great kid.