let’s go to work

This is my friend Matt.

Matt was the kind of person whose impact you could measure in lives saved, communities protected, and people forever changed. For years, he was responsible for training much of CAL FIRE’s workforce in fire prevention and protection, emergency response, law enforcement, and the enhancement of our natural resource systems. The skills he taught weren’t just lessons—they were tools that now sit in the hands of thousands of professionals out there, right now, protecting your home, your family, and your future.

My own appetite for learning about fire mitigation and community building has been fueled by Matt in ways I can’t fully measure. I never wore the CAL FIRE badge, but I can say with certainty that Matt helped train me too. He modeled patience when the work was complicated, clarity when the path forward was unclear, and humor when the load was heavy.

Whenever I am deep in the weeds—trying to make sense of the tangle of materials, strategies, and systems you’ve just read about—Matt is a compass. He knew what it meant to work. Real work. The kind that’s rooted in discipline, repetition, efficiency, and accuracy. And he knew that none of those things mattered without heart.

Matt—
I hear you.