When I turned 18 in 2005, I got my first Red Card and got on a Type 2 IA crew out of the Lake Tahoe Basin. During that time I was also Vol. firefighter for the Gardnerville Vol. Fire department. That fall, I went through the Fire Academy and EMT-Basic and, shortly after graduation I was offered my dream job as a full time career fireman in my hometown. I turned it down. I had decided that I wouldn't find happiness running 95% medical aide calls and where my true happiness lied was chasing brush fires around the country. So that is what I did for the next 20 years of my life. 

I spent the majority of my career being on and running hand crews. I jumped around to Idaho, Utah and Northern NV, and finally took a full time Job with the NV Division of Forestry running inmate hand crews in Carlin NV. In 2014 I was hired on in the Fire Program out of Carson City as Fire Fighter on engines and finished my career in March of 2024 as the Western Region Fire Management Officer. 

From 2014-2024, I focused in on my passion, and that is training. I revamped the training standards statewide, created the first Interagency Rookie Academy, developed a Chief Officer and FMAG training course and spent a large portion of my time at NIFC and NWCG in Boise ID.