Remote Medical Training Instructors
We believe you can make a difference that matters. By providing the necessary education and skills to individuals, communities, and organizations, we can ensure you provide quality care in remote locations. Help us ensure people feel safe while exploring, living and or working in remote locations.
Our Instructors & Staff
Joe Bertels
Joe is a paramedic with over 30 years of service as a frontline emergency responder. He has extensive experience precepting EMS students and a special interest in improving cardiac arrest survival rates by establishing high-performance pit crew CPR programs.
Adrienne Boland
Hi! I live in the Colorado mountains, but grew up in Idaho and started my adult life in Seattle. I love being outside and participating in all outdoor activities. The past 5 years I have been working as a ski patroller at Loveland ski area, teaching science and outdoor activities for Colorado Mountain College and teaching medicine. Currently, I am also in nursing school to further advance my medical knowledge.
Sam Capeloto
Sam Capeloto got his start in medicine working as a guide and outdoor educator. He led backpacking, day hiking, backcountry canoeing, and long-distance biking trips, where he was responsible for the health and safety of groups of people in remote environments. Since 2019 he has worked as an EMT, deploying to wildfires, Covid-19 quarantine sites, and a diversion center for people with substance abuse disorders in downtown Seattle. He is currently enrolled in nursing school at the University of Washington. His hobbies include bike touring, climbing, skiing, and backpacking.
Sam Castillo
I recently retired after 20 years in the Army and my current certifications include being a Nationally Registered Paramedic, Certified Tactical Paramedic, and Wilderness EMT. I spent ten years as an Army Special Forces Medical Sergeant and have treated everything from the common cold to multi-system trauma all over the world from the hospital environment to combat and everywhere in between. I enjoy the outdoors, playing the guitar, and spending what free time I have with my wife and four kids.
Sean Petersmark
Early on, Sean didn’t think medicine was for him—he’d get queasy just having his blood drawn! Since 2017, he has been passionately guiding hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, and bicycling tours throughout Washington state. To become a guide, Sean had to earn his Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification, and it was during that course he fell in love with emergency medicine. He discovered he enjoyed the problem solving and interpersonal aspects of medicine and wanted to combine it with his passion for the outdoors.
Motivated to gain hands-on experience, Sean began working first aid at event races and earned his EMT-B certification in 2020. He then served King County on a private ambulance before joining RMT in 2022, where he enjoys sharing his knowledge in creative and engaging ways.
During the summer, Sean continues to work as a hiking guide throughout Washington state. In the winter, he volunteers as an EMT and firefighter for Skagit County. One of his highest hopes? To become a sponsored outdoor professional—by Cheez-It, of course!
Patrick Chu
Patrick grew up in the suburbs of the Silicon Valley and began venturing into the mountains during his college years at UC Santa Cruz. Casual weekend backpacking trips laid the groundwork for what would become a full-fledged passion for mountain climbing. Over the last 10 years, Patrick has climbed and skied in a multitude of venues throughout the Sierra Nevada, Cascades, British Columbia, Patagonia, Alaska, and Himalaya. Patrick splits his year working as a professional ski patroller, mountain guide, ski guide, and wilderness medicine instructor; he plans on one day becoming a physician assistant specializing in emergency medicine. Patrick is currently working to earn his ski guide certification through the American Mountain Guides Association.
Michael Dann
Hello! I am an advanced care paramedic and trauma nurse. I have been with RMI (now RMT) for 11 years providing medical care and remote medical training all over the world. I also work on the emergency medical life flight helicopter in the mountain area of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
Kyle Dropp
Hey! I’m delighted to be an instructor at your course. I grew up in Sequim, WA but currently live in Maple Valley, WA. I spend quite a bit of time outdoors climbing, hiking, trail running, biking and performing partner acrobatics. My medical experience ranges from providing medical aid on events (like Tough Mudder) to recovering tissue in a hospital. I’m currently in Paramedic school to further my knowledge in Medicine.
Chris Immer
Chris has been a dedicated member of Lummi Island Fire Department for 17 years, serving as both a firefighter and EMT. Volunteering on a small island has provided him with a unique perspective on community service in remote settings. Through his daily experiences, Chris understands the challenges faced by healthcare providers in isolated areas—challenges that closely mirror those encountered by students who choose Remote Medical Training (RMT).
Chris has been an avid scuba diver for many years and he enjoys a variety of outdoor activities that take him into remote environments, including 4x4 driving and motorcycling. As an instructor for the American Heart Association (AHA), Red Cross, and Remote Medical Training, Chris is committed to helping others succeed. His goal is to ensure that every student reaches their full potential, providing the guidance and support needed to achieve success.
Peter Ellis
My name is Peter Ellis. I have been involved in the medical field for the last twenty years. My first exposure to wilderness medicine came in the form of taking the National Ski Patrol’s “Outdoor Emergency Care” course at the age of 17. I have been hooked ever since! I became an EMT in 2009, and a paramedic in 2018. I spent fifteen years working for the National Park Service as a backcountry ranger, then lead climbing ranger at Mt. Rainier National Park. It was there that I learned the value of refining medical skills for an austere environment and the value of having partners in the mountains who have the skills to help in an emergency. I also developed a passion for training and teaching others those skills while working for the National Park Service. More recently, I was hired as a firefighter and paramedic with the City of Bellingham Fire Department. I feel very fortunate to be able to serve the community in which my wife and I are raising our young son! When I am not working at the fire department or teaching for Remote Medical, I enjoy backcountry skiing, mountaineering, climbing, and trail running.
Mary Ennes Davis
Mary has been involved with outdoor emergency care for nearly 15 years and brings over 30 years of teaching experience to the RMT classroom. A Team leader for ski patrol at Mount Baker ski area, Instructor for OEC, trained in avalanche rescue and Mountain Travel and Rescue, a remote EMT and lifelong learner, Mary joined the RMT Instruction team during Covid because she believes that the world needs more first responders, and everyone should have some basic skills in first aid. She is a professional artist and educator, running her own installation business; she loves to ski, climb, row, cycle and explore new places with her husband and dog.
Wes Seger
I am excited to be part of the RMT instructor team!
Originally from Southern California, I moved to Washington in 2007, where I completed my BA at Western Washington University. My wife, Shelby, and I have been married for 13 years and are the proud parents of four daughters who keep our lives blissfully busy. Our family enjoys long walks and camping during the summer months.
In addition, I have a passion for photography and have worked as a professional photographer for the past 15 years. My journey as an educator began in 2008 when I earned my EMT certification and started teaching at the Bellingham Technical College EMT program. I have spent 13 years working full-time as a Firefighter Paramedic, with 9 of those years at Fire District 7 and the last 4 at the Bellingham Fire Department (BFD). I’ve also assisted with the BFD’s quarterly OTEP courses and am excited to continue educating our community on my days off here at RMT.
Marina Fitzpatrick
Marina was born and raised in the PNW. She graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in International Studies, Medical Anthropology, and Global Health. Marina currently works as a professional Alpine Rock/Snow Mountain Guide and EMT based out of Leavenworth, WA. She volunteers as a Firefighter EMT for Chelan County District 3 and has her eyes set on becoming a flight nurse. Her specialties include backcountry rescue, trauma management, and technical rope rescue. Marina enjoys trail running, rock climbing, mountain biking, sailing, river sports, and dinner parties.
Jonah Manning
From the United States to Nepal, Jonah Manning has shared his knowledge of remote medicine as a full-time instructor for Remote Medical International. His background includes working as an ER and Rescue Technician, as well as sailing solo around the world and thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. Jonah is now also in nursing school.
Brian Martens
Brian grew up in Boulder, CO where a love of the outdoors was instilled from an early age. He started leading people into the mountains in college, working for the outdoor program at the University of Montana, and guiding people up Mount Shasta in the summers. He worked in the outdoor industry over the next ten years, leading remote climbing and mountaineering expeditions in the High Andes, Patagonia, Spain, Montana, and Alaska. A series of backcountry medical emergencies and close calls led him to change careers and pursue further medical training. He became an EMT, working for two years on an ambulance, and went on to become a Registered Nurse. Currently, he works full-time in the Emergency Department in Bellingham, Washington. He spends the rest of his time adventuring with his two young children, teaching remote medicine, and trying to find time for other hobbies which include running, climbing, skiing, sailing, kayaking, woodworking, playing music, and sitting in silence.
Savannah Reed
Savannah originally hails from Northern California but has called Tacoma, WA home since 2012. She got her first taste of remote medicine by joining the local search and rescue team in 2006 and she’s been obsessed with it ever since. Savannah is currently an REMT and splits her time between teaching for RMT and working on an ambulance in Clallam County on the Olympic Peninsula, where her transport times can exceed an hour. Aside from the usual outdoor activities that most of our instructors and students enjoy (hiking, backpacking, etc), Savannah spends the rest of her free time swing dancing, baking, gardening, and tackling way too many craft projects.
Sean Roberts
Sean Roberts works as a firefighter/paramedic for Bellingham Fire Department, and has been teaching for RMT since October 2018. He started his career in EMS by getting a Remote-EMT certification. He enjoys traveling, especially when it involves rock climbing, skiing, or hiking. His biggest goal for his instruction is to provide students with real-world experience and scenario-based, hands-on learning.
Mari Schramm
Mari’s journey into the medical field began through her work and adventures in remote areas, ranging from the North Cascades to Central America. After years of practicing risk management and informal remote medicine with backcountry forest service crews and at remote learning centers, she decided to pursue a more formal medical career.
As a trained educator with a Master’s in Education (M.Ed) and a Washington State K-8 teaching certificate, Mari is passionate about helping students on their paths to becoming skilled wilderness medical providers. She currently teaches at a rural, K-12 school in Washington State, works part-time as an EMT and serves as a remote medical instructor. Mari also volunteers with Chelan County Search and Rescue, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to serving her community.
DJ Smith
DJ Smith is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces medic who was initially assigned to 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis. Over the course of a 20-year career, he was assigned with the Australian SAS in a military personnel exchange program and served as a flight medic team leader in a special mission aviation unit. He became a wilderness medicine instructor with Remote Medical International while transitioning from the military. For the past 7 years, he has been working as an emergency medicine PA for Kaiser Permanente in Bellevue, WA, while also teaching in the University of Washington's PA program.
DJ lives with his wife, Kiska, and teenage twins Kian and Hadley (as well as their chocolate lab Griffey) in Bothell, WA, where they spend most of their free time on baseball and softball fields, hiking, or skiing as a family.
Zach Takasawa
I am a traveller, mountaineer, medical provider, motorcyclist, artist, and always learning more. I have served on urban ambulances in King County, performed rural and expedition medicine on dirt bike expeditions in South East Asia, worked as an alpine and glacier guide in South East Alaska and New Zealand, and worked shipboard with National Geographic. At the core I am an adventurer so the list will keep growing, and I'll never stop learning and applying and adapting.
Winnie Romeril
Winnie Romeril, MA, BA, FP-C, NR-P, CCEMTP, FAWM, has been delivering critical medical care in rural & austere environments (US and the Caribbean) for over 25 years. She currently works part-time as a flight paramedic for AeroMD (USVI) and with Yates County (NY) Advanced Life Support. Outside EMS, she responds to catastrophic disasters and epidemics as a bilingual crisis spokesperson (English/Spanish), with travel to over 40 countries. Recent assignments included mentoring local staff on Haiti Air Ambulance, serving as a World Health Organization spokesperson in Sierra Leone at the height of the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak, and treating Covid-19 patients on the Navajo Nation when local resources were overwhelmed. She conducts interactive training in wilderness medicine and other topics, forages for wild mushrooms, and is learning to dive.