2027 Speakers
Matt Dargan, Flight Officer, Air Operations at UAS Program Manager, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District
I joined the U.S. Army in 2003 and served on active duty for 10 years as a combat medic, deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2013, I relocated to California to continue serving with the California Army National Guard's MEDEVAC (Dustoff) unit while beginning a career with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. I served as a flight medic with the Guard until retiring as a Sergeant First Class in 2023. Today, I serve the community with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District on an engine company, as a flight officer with our Air Operations Program, and as the UAS Program Manager. Our Air Operations Program supports wildfire suppression through water-dropping missions, hoist rescues, and deploys through California's mutual aid system to provide MEDEVAC coverage during large-scale emergencies. Our UAS program provides tactical reconnaissance for emergency incidents, payload operations, post-incident recovery through thermal wildfire mapping, and incident reconstruction. Outside of my department, I serve on the FIRESCOPE UAS Subcommittee, I am the DRONERESPONDERS liaison to the California Fire Chiefs Association and serve as one of the State Directors for the California UAS Public Safety Group (CALGRU).