Who we are
Silverton Medical Rescue (nonprofit, 501(C)(3)) is one of the first combination EMS and Search & Rescue teams in the state of Colorado, which affords us the ability to provide the highest level of emergency care possible in both the town of Silverton and the austere environment of San Juan County. Our county covers 388 square miles (1005 sq km) of some of the most remote and dramatic terrain in the contiguous United States, of which Silverton (population 637) is the only incorporated town. We also boast the highest mean elevation in the country at 11,240 feet.
We provide an advanced continuity of care from the field to the hospital, and this standard has yielded incredible patient outcomes. This unique framework of mountain rescue-emergency care has proven to be the most effective model of emergency medical services San Juan County has ever had. With our incident types ranging from everyday lift-assists and cardiovascular compromises to backcountry motor vehicle accidents and alpine rescues, our personnel must be ready to respond to and manage an uncommon range of scenarios.
This model requires an incredible amount of training for our staff - not only requisite medical expertise, but also extensive backcountry rescue training such as avalanche rescue, swift-water rescue, technical rope rescue, helicopter operations, and other advanced search and rescue techniques.
“Our mission is to provide the highest quality emergency care for San Juan County through education and training with the highest degree of integrity, quality, and consistency."
Meet our Director
Tyler George is a Silverton native, and the son of the founder of avalanche science. Now, Tyler humbly leads Silverton Medical Rescue with a vault of knowledge — a business degree, years guiding whitewater in the Grand Canyon, a lifetime of professional backcountry skiing in the San Juans, ease with technical rope rescue, and much more. He is well loved for many reasons, including his passion for keeping locals and visitors safe in such a dangerous county.
Congratulations to Our Newest Paramedic, Nancy Stanley!
Silverton San Juan County Ambulance Association is proud to announce that Nancy Stanley has officially joined our team as a Paramedic.
Nancy has been part of Silverton Medical Rescue for three years, serving our community as an EMT before completing her paramedic program earlier this year. Her hard work and commitment to advancing her skills mean an even higher level of care for the patients we serve across San Juan County.
We were able to support Nancy through her paramedic education with the help of the Workforce Resilience Program, a Colorado Community College System grant program that helps rural employers invest in training and retaining skilled staff. Programs like this are vital for small agencies like ours, allowing us to grow paramedics from within our own community rather than competing for an already-stretched rural EMS workforce.
Please join us in congratulating Nancy on this well-earned achievement!
Meet Our Team
Avalanche Recreational 2, Technical Rope Rescue + Patient Care, ProAvSAR
When Kelly’s not responding to emergency calls, she can often be found climbing mountains or shredding the slopes on her snowboard. Kelly is also a devoted dog owner, with two furry companions named Oakley and T'challa who love to join her on her outdoor excursions. Her love for the outdoors led her to pursue a degree in outdoor recreation from Ohio University, where she honed her skills and gained valuable experience in the field.
Kelly Weakley
Paramedic, SAR Coordinator
Ben Stone
Critical Care Flight ParamedicAvalanche Recreational 2, Technical Rope Rescue, ProAvSAR
Ben is a medic for Montrose Careflight and is a valuable resource to our team, despite his humble avoidance to brag about himself!
Avalanche Recreational 1, Technical Rope Rescue, Swiftwater Tech
Emma completed her EMT schooling in Jan 2022, and began volunteering with Silverton Ambulance that spring. She graduated with an Outdoor Recreation and Wilderness Leadership degree. With an interest in SAR, and wide range of outdoor experiences and knowledge, she is happy to share her skills to help others in the community. You can typically find her mountain biking, paddle-boarding, snowboarding and snowmobiling or simply relaxing at home with her husband and pups.
Emma Schaffrick
EMT
Sophie Fearon
EMTAvalanche Pro 1, Technical Rope Rescue, +
Originally from Sammamish, Washington, Sophie started as a volunteer with Search and Rescue in 2020. She completed her EMT through SJCAA in 2022 and came on full time (winters only) in 2023. Sophie joined Search and Rescue and EMS as a way to give back to this community that has given her so much, and as a way to learn new skills to aid her personal outdoor pursuits. Her favorite part of working for Silverton Medical Rescue is getting the chance to learn from our incredibly talented crew.
Nancy Stanley
ParamedicAvalanche Pro 1, Pro AvSAR, Technical Rope Rescue, Swiftwater Tech
Nancy began as a EMT volunteer with Silverton Ambulance in 2022 and started working full-time in 2024. Prior to her career in EMS, Nancy got her bachelor's in Berlin and learned more about alpinism in Central Asia. In her free time she sells art and enjoys running.
Avalanche Recreational 2, Technical Rope Rescue, Swiftwater Tech, ProAvSAR
Born in Texas, raised in Connecticut and Utah, and working careers in DC and Ohio, Mike has a PhD in Political Science from the State University of New York and served as Assistant Political Director for Vice President Al Gore. Mike first came to Silverton at 15 years old when he tried to find his great grandfather's silver mine up toward Animas Forks. You can see Mike running trails in the summer and eagerly skiing and ice climbing in the winter. He still recalls Mount Washington, Kamchatka, the Kalihari, and high-altitude peaks in the Andes and Himalayas among his favorite memories.
Michael Burton
EMT
Matthew Nunes
EMTAvalanche Recreational 1, Technical Rope Rescue, +
Matthew Nunes grew up in Mississippi and discovered the San Juans while thru-hiking the Colorado Trail in 2017. He made it his mission to someday make this region home and finally moved to Silverton in 2023. Soon after, Matthew began volunteering with Silverton Medical Rescue and found a passion for EMS and SAR. In 2025, he became a full time staff member with SMR. In his free time, Matthew enjoys skiing, mountain biking, backpacking, running, nature photography, and music.
Zachary Raines
ParamedicAshley Klassen
EMTAvalanche Pro 2, ProAvSAR instructor, Technical Rope Rescue
Raised largely in Kansas, Ashley first began volunteering with SAR teams in 2016. She completed her EMT in 2020, and has since utilized it on the ambulance in Telluride, as an EMT with TelSki Bike Patrol, and teaching CPR/WFR courses. She has been working as a year-round guide since 2021 in Colorado and Alaska, as well as an avalanche educator in Silverton. She started full time with SMR in April of 2026. Ashley enjoys long alpine bike rides, collecting summits and sunrises, and human-powered powder turns.
Zachary joined Silverton Medical Rescue in November 2025, while continuing to serve with the 306th Rescue Squadron in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a Pararescueman. He brings more than a decade of experience in emergency medicine, personnel recovery, technical rescue, and austere operations, including deployments to Afghanistan and Jordan, disaster response during Hurricane Dorian, and operations with Alaska’s 212th Rescue Squadron and Air Zermatt in Switzerland. Zach moved to Silverton for the San Juans, and takes to them on bikes and skis.
