Where are you from? I’m from Bozeman, MT. 

Why did you move to Jackson? I moved here because I was working in the park at Flagg Ranch and a bunch of us came into town together a lot. And I just never left! 

What is your role in the department? Oh boy, I don’t even know. I guess that’s relatively easy…to support EMS operations out of Stations 4 and 7. 4 in the summers and 7 in the winters, so my station is really number 47.

How long have you been a part of JH Fire/EMS? I think it’s 31 years but it might be 30. They didn’t count the first year that year, so 30. I don’t even remember what year I came in. 

What made you want to join JH Fire/EMS? Inspiration? I was blackmailed by Susie Prentice. I had friends who were here who swayed me to come in. Back then we weren’t a combination department, so if you started with EMS, you stayed with EMS the whole time. I think Kelly Stirn and I are the last two, even though I was paid staff for a while. 

What are your current certs? EMT Basic: I was an intermediate for 12 years. I was woodland certified for eight or ten years but never wanted to go the fire route.

What are your future goals in the department? Retirement in about four years or so, maybe five: depends if I can still get out of bed in the morning. 

What do you do for work? I’m still working as an EMS ranger in Yellowstone in the summers and as an airport host in the winter time.

What do you do in your free time? There’s free time? Well, now, I just enjoy days off which is something I never really had before. It’s nice to have breaks I guess.

Favorite part of volunteering? Oh, the people, of course. Patients, coworkers, both.

What would you say is the most satisfying or rewarding part? Oh, let me see. Yeah, it’s probably changing someone’s day to have a positive outcome. 

What advice would you give new recruits? Hang on! It’s a ride, man!

What do you wish you had known when starting? No, not really. I don’t know if there’s any sage-y advice. Be ready to juggle lives, it’s a juggle event and you have front row seats.

What is the most useful trait for someone to have? Thick skin. No, don’t put that. Well….that actually is pretty true. There’s so many different ways that people take care of people.

What do you think you bring to the department? A capability to eat a lot. Not much, really. Support. A good laugh on occasion. 

Do you have any mentors, or have you had folks you’ve looked up to in the past? Not anymore, they all quit or died! I would say that’s a moving target, because there are different people at different times that are supportive.