Erik Muhlenhaupt

Founder + Lead Instructor

Erik has been riding fire trucks for over twenty years as a volunteer and as a career firefighter and paramedic for the last thirteen years, including time as a flight medic. He currently works for Fairfax County, Virginia, and is a member of Virginia Task Force 1/USA-1.

Early on in his career, he fell in love with rope rescue, performing pickoffs and rescues with bar racks and prusiks. Since those early days – and equipment! – he has consistently expanded and improved upon his technical rescue knowledge and skill. Erik spends his time teaching technical rescue, consuming technical rescue research, attending courses and seminars across the country, and creating effective content to bring to you.

Erik is an experienced technician in rope and tower, vehicle and machinery, swiftwater, confined space, trench, and structural collapse rescue, and holds SPRAT Level 1 certification. He has a master’s degree in sport psychology and has been a fire and EMS instructor for the past decade teaching everything from basic firefighting to technical rescue to critical care medicine with experience ranging from rural settings to urban and industrial environments.