Training rope rescue in the Utah desert sounds extreme — until you realize it's the best way to actually learn. No trees, limited anchors, and unforgiving terrain force you to build clean, redundant systems and understand why they work. That's exactly why we keep coming back to Hanksville for our annual REMS training with Prevail Rescue Solutions.

In this episode, we break down what a full week of desert rope rescue training looks like on the ground — from day-one cobwebs to day-four momentum — and why the night slot canyon run has become our favorite confidence test for the whole crew.

🪢 IN THIS EPISODE:
Why limited anchors make better riggers
Night slot canyon travel as a team-building tool
How reps on shoddy anchors actually build real confidence
Patient packaging details that matter when it's dark and everyone's tired
What we like (and question) about the KOBUS RollUP Litter
Marlow Tactical rope impressions and strength talk
How multi-day scenarios sharpen communication and leadership
What we're tracking from NWSA and WEMS conferences
VIPER ordering changes and REMS typing questions heading into fire season
Why The Journeyman is more than a recruiting tool — and how teams use it for resource tracking, shift tickets, and season history

🔥 CONNECT WITH PREVAIL RESCUE SOLUTIONS:
You can reach Brian and the Prevail Rescue team directly through the app.

📲 SUBSCRIBE for weekly wildland fire content. If this episode helped you think differently about training, gear, or the coming season, share it with your crew and leave a review so more wildland firefighters and medical teams can find the show.

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KOBUS RollUP Litter
https://www.narescue.com/

Hill People Gear
https://www.hillpeoplegear.com/

Prevail Rescue Solutions
https://www.prevailrescue.com/

[00:00:00] Why Train Where There Are No Trees
[00:03:55] Testing The COBUS Litter System
[00:06:27] New Rope Options And Strength
[00:14:52] Conferences And Big Industry Changes
[00:23:10] Track Your Season Then Get Back To Work

That sinking feeling when a state letter says you owe tens of thousands of dollars is not rare, it is the hidden tax on running a small business across state lines. We sit down with the Caputo Group to unpack why wildfire contractors and mobile EMS teams get hit so hard by multi-state payroll compliance, workers’ compensation requirements, HR law changes, and safety regulations. When the work is dangerous and time-sensitive, you should not be forced to choose between guessing and paying attorney rates just to understand basic admin.

You will also hear why being present at industry events like NWSA matters for education and advocacy, plus why transparency on cost and a non-pushy onboarding process can make or break trust. If you are tired of admin stealing time from training, operations, and growth, this conversation gives you a clear framework for evaluating payroll and HR outsourcing options. Subscribe, share this with a business owner who needs it, and leave a review with the biggest compliance question you want answered next.

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Find Caputo Group here:
https://www.caputo-group.com/

[00:00:00] When You Are Not Sure
[00:03:44] Multi State Rules And Surprise Bills
[00:06:22] What A PEO Actually Is
[00:15:52] PEO Versus Payroll Providers
[00:21:33] Why They Show Up At NWSA
[00:25:33] Transparency On Cost And Support
[00:31:51] Free Quotes And Final Takeaways

John of Backcountry Medics gets specific about capability, not just labels. What’s the real operational difference between Type 1 ALS and Type 2 ALS? Why does vehicle extrication keep coming up when we talk about firefighter fatality risk from auto accidents and cardiac events? We also dig into why assumptions like “the local structure department can handle it” can fall apart in remote wildland settings where time, tools, and staffing are never guaranteed.

From there, we zoom out to what actually raises the bar: better MedL education, more transparency and accountability across contractors, and smarter planning between REMS teams so complementary gear and staffing show up when a single patient turns into three. We swap hard earned lessons from long field care and backcountry rope rescue, where lightweight systems and real experience beat overloaded packs and textbook answers.

If you care about REMS, wildland fire medical care, UTV based response, rope rescue, or incident medical planning, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a teammate, and leave a review so more people ordering and delivering care can find it.

Find Backcountry Medics here:
https://backcountrymedics.org/

Find Backcountry Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/backcountry_medics?igsh=MTZsMTB3ZnNyMzgxMQ%3D%3D

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Apple App Store:
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Visit Our Website
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[00:00:00] The Viper Transition Problem
[00:07:59] Why NWSA Conference Matters
[00:15:07] Real Rescues And Rope Systems
[00:18:03] Staffing Standards And Team Coordination
[00:19:59] Hiring Bar And Where To Apply

A firefighter gets crushed by a falling tree miles from a road. A medic knows exactly how to control the pain and protect the patient’s body from spiraling stress, but the medication that makes it possible can’t legally cross the next state line. That’s not a hypothetical, it’s the operational problem we’re staring at after a new DEA interstate rule tightened how controlled substances can travel with EMS teams.

We sit down with Joe Decker from Remote Medical Rescue and Dan Blaul from All Terrain Rescue to explain how REMS teams support wildland fire operations, why remote rescue is fundamentally different from city EMS, and what “hours of patient care in the woods” really looks like. We unpack the rule change, the cost and brick and mortar hurdles tied to multi state DEA registration, and why rapid deployments across the West don’t fit neatly into the current compliance model.

Then we get blunt about consequences: pain management, ketamine, narcotics, and benzodiazepines are not luxuries when you’re packaging a femur fracture, treating a seizure far from a hospital, or managing critical procedures in an austere environment. We also talk about moral injury for providers forced to watch suffering they could normally relieve, and why this could push the standard of care backward for firefighter safety and patient outcomes.

If you’re a firefighter, medic, medical director, or someone who cares about wildfire medical response, listen, share this with your crew, and help raise the volume with decision makers. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what change would protect patients fastest?

Find the article here:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6301399/

Find The Journeyman here:
https://livetjm.com/

Find Minuteman EMS here:
https://www.minutemanems.com/

Find Remote Medical Rescue here:
https://www.remotemedicalrescue.com/

Find All Terrain Rescue here:
https://www.allterrainrescue.org/

Blog 1
https://www.livetjm.com/blog/LIS4U8mscxKpEjHicSGq

Blog 2
https://www.livetjm.com/blog/7NQcizXnQrwTkJJrmaFe

[00:00:00] Moral Injury From Untreated Pain
[00:03:00] What REMS Teams Actually Do
[00:06:10] The New DEA Interstate Rule
[00:09:55] When Pain Control Prevents Death
[00:12:25] Real World Scenarios Without Narcotics
[00:16:12] Why Fixing This Takes Time
[00:20:40] How To Help And Where To Connect

College costs $200K+ and 4 years. Here's what you can build instead for less money and more capability.

Part 2 with Maxim Smith diving into practical cycles from The Preparation: no-code fluency that lets you ship real products, Muay Thai training in Thailand that builds discipline and fight composure, and real-world readiness skills that make you harder to break.

What we cover:

The "Hacker" Cycle: No Code = Real Leverage
Not cyberpunk - it's AI-assisted tools that ship working products fast
Building custom CRMs and websites with natural language
Automating content workflows without writing code
How small teams compete with big companies using AI infrastructure

Resilience Without Paranoia
Simple, realistic prepping: food, water, heat, off-grid communication
Why fragile systems require capable individuals
Becoming more useful when things break

Shooting as Capability
Building respect, calm, and competence
Useful for hunting, defense, and confidence under pressure
Safe, structured learning that removes fear

Troubleshooting & First Principles Thinking
Mindset borrowed from aviation maintenance
How to isolate root causes and solve complex problems
Becoming invaluable in work and life

Muay Thai Block in Thailand
4 hours/day, 6 days/week focused training
Rebuilding endurance, discipline, composure in a fight
Why hard physical training compounds everything else

Technical Ropes & Rescue Training
Stacking capability layers for emergencies
Skills that hold in real situations

Book Sales, Marketing & What's Next
Real numbers from launching The Preparation
Women's preparation track tailored for real needs
EMT skills, REMS, and staying sharp off-season
How AI will shape the next decade

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play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livetjm.thejourneyman&pli=1

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apps.apple.com/us/app/tjm-the-journeyman/id6503902863

Visit Our Website
livetjm.com/home

Find Maxim Smith here:
https://www.maximsmith.com/

[00:00:00] The "Hacker" Cycle Explained
[00:04:10] Survival Basics And Prepping Mindset
[00:08:20] CQB, Shooting Skills, And Confidence
[00:14:00] Becoming More Capable In A Risky World
[00:18:30] A Women's Prep Book And Self-Defense
[00:24:00] Building TJM Tools With AI
[00:26:20] EMT Skills, Ropes, And REMS Training

What if the most valuable four years of your life weren't spent in a classroom, but stacking skills, shipping value, and building real businesses?

We break down The Preparation - a structured framework that replaces drift with momentum through 16 focused cycles. Each cycle delivers a hard skill, body of knowledge, and layer of confidence you can bank on. No debt required.

What we cover:
The Framework: 16 Cycles Over 4 Years
How anchor courses (Muay Thai, heavy equipment, private pilot, sailing) pair with reading and online coursework
Compounding effect: each cycle builds on the last
Goal isn't novelty - it's earning leverage

The Entrepreneur Cycle
Simple benchmark: create legal entity, craft clear offer, land one sale in 3 months
Real example: agricultural drone seeding business that seeded 10 acres in under 45 minutes
Marketing abroad, legal setup, turning personal needs into paid services

Hard Skills That Pay
Muay Thai training in Thailand
Heavy equipment operation
Private pilot license
Sailing certification
Drone operation and agricultural services
Each one opens doors and income streams

For Veterans & Career Switchers
GI Bill-eligible programs: EMT training, pilot schools, heavy equipment courses
How military soft skills (leadership, integrity, composure) translate to entrepreneurship
Building autonomy without debt

Travel as Education
Thailand, South Africa, Chile - expanding perspective and sharpening judgment
Learning by doing in different contexts
Cultural immersion that builds adaptability

Why This Works
Cycle stacking = spot opportunities faster
Act with clarity, never feel pigeonholed
Build skills that compound over time
Create multiple income streams
Graduate debt-free with real businesses

The Bottom Line:
This isn't anti-education - it's a structured alternative for those who want autonomy, skills, and entrepreneurial capability without the debt. College works for some paths (medicine, law, engineering). This is for those who want to build differently.

Find The Journeyman App here:
Google Play Store:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livetjm.thejourneyman&pli=1

Apple App Store:
apps.apple.com/us/app/tjm-the-journeyman/id6503902863

Visit Our Website
livetjm.com/home

Find Maxim Smith here:
https://www.maximsmith.com/

[00:00:00] The Mindset Of Lifelong Preparation
[00:05:31] Skill Cycles And Global Learning
[00:11:45] Building A Drone Seeding Business
[00:18:02] Stacking Skills For Opportunity
[00:21:12] Veterans, GI Bill, And Transition Paths

Ever wonder why some contractor medics get looped into the crew's plan while others end up alone on a ridge?
It's all about trust. We break down the real mechanics of earning credibility on the fireline—and how quiet competence, not loud swagger, sets you up for the right role when it counts.

What we cover:
Making the Jump: City Fire to Contractor
Admin fears, check-in, and demob mysteries solved
What a solid contractor company actually provides (binder, support, purchasing)
How to choose a company that has your back

Building Credibility Without the Patch
Introducing yourself at briefing (what to say, what not to say)
Using Avenza maps to align placement with crew leads
Positioning your rig for highest-risk work = faster response time
Why 5 minutes with each crew lead can flip you from outsider to trusted asset

Setting Boundaries With Respect
Why medics belong where people work, not miles from action
How to push back on "safety" requests that put you off-mission
Saying no with respect and clear rationale

Field Gear That Actually Improves Long Shifts
Instant coffee that helps
Pocket wash that removes grime fast
Small items that solve two problems, add no weight

Living the Dirtbag Adventure Life
Low-cost adventures, ice climbs, and navigation skill-building
Fastest Known Time attempt on the Mickelson Trail
Building grit and judgment without big budgets

Simplifying the Paperwork
Digital shift tickets = fewer demob headaches
How to reduce rewrites and admin stress
More time for training, scouting helispots, scanning hazards

The Bottom Line:
If you're moving from structure to wildland contracting or trying to elevate your presence as a single resource, this is your field guide. Prepare before you arrive, communicate like time matters, pack smart, and protect your role with calm authority.

Find The Journeyman App here:
Google Play Store:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livetjm.thejourneyman&pli=1

Apple App Store:
apps.apple.com/us/app/tjm-the-journeyman/id6503902863

Visit Our Website
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Undercover Dirtbag Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/undercoverdirtbags?igsh=bWl6cGU1Yms4bXVm

[00:00:00] First-Time Contractor Nerves
[00:05:20] Earning Trust As A Line Medic
[00:10:20] Speaking Up About Safety And Role
[00:16:00] Undercover Dirtbags Story
[00:18:20] Affordable Adventure Mindset

What happens when 80% of fire calls are EMS—and it starts breaking you?

We sit down with a structure firefighter Matt Emrich who chased the dream of real fire, got buried in nonstop EMS and critical calls, and eventually hit a breaking point that led to PTSD treatment, a career pivot, and a new path through wildland REMS.

What we cover:
The Structure Fire Reality
Growing up around fire, early training burns, chasing ladders and lines
Seattle's Medic One system: thin ALS coverage, fast decisions, high stakes
Rapid City station life: tight crews, busy downtown house, real camaraderie
The modern truth: ~80% EMS with a black cloud of critical calls

When the Job Starts Breaking You
Sleepless shifts, divorce, and the morning on the edge
Making the call to a firefighter-specific PTSD program
Leadership that stepped up: time off, pay coverage, zero judgment
Treatment doesn't erase scars, but it rewires the path forward

Building a New Path
Starting a tree-climbing business for autonomy and balance
Discovering REMS and line medic opportunities in wildland fire
Seasonal deployments that pay well and let you choose your assignments

How Structure Firefighters Can Deploy to Wildland
Red card requirements (S-130, S-190, basic fitness)
EMT or paramedic license opens REMS and line medic roles
How to approach your admin about deployments
Aligning with multiple contractors increases opportunities
R&R fills: 2-4 day stints when crews need relief
Best timing: mid-August to mid-September (peak season)
Communication habits that keep opportunities coming

The Bottom Line:
You can love structure fire and still need a break. Wildland REMS gives you autonomy, better pay, seasonal work, and a chance to use your medical skills in a different environment. Protect your health, keep your credentials, and design a career that actually lasts.

Find The Journeyman App here:
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play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livetjm.thejourneyman&pli=1

Apple App Store:
apps.apple.com/us/app/tjm-the-journeyman/id6503902863

Visit Our Website
livetjm.com/home

Undercover Dirtbag Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/undercoverdirtbags?igsh=bWl6cGU1Yms4bXVm

[00:00:00] Early Fire Service Beginnings
[00:06:45] Choosing Paramedic School And EMS Reality
[00:10:45] Rapid City: Crews, Call Volume, And Culture
[00:15:36] Burnout, PTSD, And Seeking Help
[00:20:32] Life After The Department: Trees And REMS
[00:26:20] R&R Opportunities And Seasonal Timing