Micah Rush, Dedicated Rescue Professional
April 6 2021
Technical rescue
Experienced guide and rescue professional, Micah Rush is a recognized expert in his field. And he strongly believes that this experience and expertise should be shared for the benefit of his entire community. We sat down with Micah to learn more about him and his life in the vertical world.
Can you introduce yourself?
I'm Micah Rush, owner of Peak Rescue, a firefighter in Casper (WY), and an IFMGA (International Mountain Guide Certification) mountain guide. Most people know I'm an avid skier, mountaineer, and rock climber. I love to travel and see different cultures and people. My favorite form of travel is traveling on a dime because some of my best stories and experiences come this way; being robbed at knife point, hitchhiking the Baja for a month of surfing and climbing, running from a tsunami, sleeping in hammocks in the jungle, or even receiving the nastiest tequila in the world as a gift. I love running, and went through a stint of doing quite a few ultra-marathons and even broke the speed record of climbing the Wind River Cirque Traverse car to car.
Researching maps in Sinaï, Egypt
Exum mountain guides training
My heritage is a combination of Pueblo Indian and German. My great grandfather jumped the reservation before signing the reservation treaty, which means my family is not recognized as part of the Pueblo tribe. Although I think it saved my family in the long run from a lot of sadness. To escape the stigma of being Native American, some family members changed their family name. My mom and dad raised my brother, three sisters and I and we shared our house with almost 200 foster kids.
I met my wife when we were about eight years old at a mutual friends' house, and then met again as adults rock climbing. We've been together almost 20 years. I have two children; Marcus, six years old and in kindergarten and Hadley, three years old who gives me a run for my money. Life is good and busier than ever! "
Teaching swift / flood water rescue
What made you get involved with rescue? What pushed you to become such an expert?
It is weird how one thing leads to the next and that's how it was for rescue. Some might call it something, but I call it God's hand. I never would've guessed I'd be where I am right now, when I was guiding, rafting, and had just bought the indoor climbing gym at nineteen-years old. I always dreamed of guiding in the mountains all over the world. I eventually guided a few of the local firefighters up the Grand Teton, met someone that became a life mentor, Mike Vogt, and decided to pursue firefighting. This was my first step toward leaving my vagabond lifestyle and becoming more settled. I was hired by the Casper Fire Department. I loved the fast pace, thinking on the spot and the specialty rescues. Due to my climbing background and experience with rope systems, I was often called to the high angle rescues all over Wyoming. Naturally, I pursued rope rescue techniques.
Teaching REM (Rapid Extraction Model) for wildland firefighters. Backcountry technical rescue teams
Then, I was hired as a guide for Exum Mountain Guides and started pursuing my IFMGA mountain guide pin, a coveted honor and the highest international standard for guiding. I started seeing how mountain guiding and rescue techniques crossed over and how some techniques were more efficient in different settings. I started pursuing specialty rescue certifications for high angle, rope access and confined space. I became almost obsessed with pursuing more knowledge in my craft.
I was able to teach people these concepts in an authentic way using practical experiences to guide the concept or theory to be taught. I have met many people I call friends to this day, with the commonalities of fire, rescue and guiding. In my free time I eat, breath and sleep rescue, climbing, and skiing. At this point it's a drive to be the best and make sure our company is on the forefront of best practices.
First ascent in Sinaï, Egypt
How do you manage risks within a rescue mission?
I usually manage risks by thinking of people first and then the rescue systems second. I'm a realist when it comes to strengths and weaknesses, even within my own company. I try to capitalize on each person's strengths and create a plan to accomplish the goal.
What would you say to someone younger who might consider getting into fire and rescue as a job?
Find something you are passionate about and put in the time to be great! Don't be afraid to do the small, laborious jobs— they often put you ahead in the long run. Do ride alongs with other departments, seek out mentors and learning opportunities (i.e., classes) as much as you can. Guard your mental health!