Mark Rickbeil

Mark began his career in rope and rescue in 1995, spending winters as a professional ski patroller at Red Lodge Mountain in Montana and summers guiding in the backcountry and working on high-ropes and challenge course facilitation and construction. He also worked with an arborist for two seasons, gaining experience operating on ropes in tree environments. From 1999 to 2006, Mark served as the Patrol Director at Red Lodge Mountain, during which time he was involved with Red Lodge Fire & EMS and Carbon County Search and Rescue. In 2006, Mark joined the Billings Fire Department and became a member of its technical rescue team in 2007, taking over as team coordinator in 2018 and retiring in October 2024. Mark continues to work part-time as a ski patroller at Red Lodge Mountain, marking over 30 years as a member of the National Ski Patrol – Pro Division. He now travels and teaches technical rescue and REMS (Rapid Extraction Module Support) courses, as well as aerial evacuation and other rescue disciplines for Peak Rescue, and serves as a team lead for REMS assignments on wildland fires.