Roundtable Talk - Balancing Act: Navigating Work, Life, and Volunteer Commitments

Matt Aalto currently serves as a Battalion Chief – Training Officer and RRC for the Estacada (OR) Fire District. Just prior, Matt served as the Captain and Training officer – RRC for the Gaston Fire District from 2016 to 2023. Matt was employed by the Stayton Fire District as a Career Firefighter/EMT and oversaw the district’s RRC responsibilities from 2011 to 2016. Prior to that, Matt volunteered with the Cornelius Fire Department.  In addition to being a line officer, Matt co-founded the Oregon Fire Recruitment Network which has brought multiple fire agencies in Oregon together in a unified effort to recruit and retain firefighters across the state. The network went live in 2013 and since then has successfully recruited over 2000 firefighters who have made it through an academy and are now serving the fire lines in Oregon. Matt is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is an instructor for the Recruitment and Retention Certification Course and the Building a Collaborative Team course. He has also helped create national recruitment courses and acts as an SME for the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). Matt holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration a BA in Fire Administration, an Associate Degree in Fire Science, and a certificate from Notre Dame University in Leadership.

Matt holds multiple Oregon NFPA DPSST fire certifications including Fire Officer IV, PIO, FFII, Instructor II, Live Fire Instructor in Charge, Eng Boss, and more. Matt is also a graduate of the National Fire Academy Managing Fire Officer Program and is currently in the Executive Fire Officer program.

Matt has managed both SAFER and AFG grants in multiple capacities with the Estacada Fire District, Gaston Fire District and the Stayton Fire District. Additionally, Matt has been successful in grant writing and strategic planning for multiple fire departments across the State of Oregon, and Nationally while specializing in recruitment and retention needs.

Matt has become a well-known specialist in recruitment and retention and building collaborative teams. In 2024, he was honored to present at FDIC for the first time and will be presenting his class “Expectations and Accountability” again in 2025. 

Growing up in a fire service family, Sarah developed a strong affinity for those who give back to their community. Combined with her 25-year dedication to the nonprofit sector – serving most in the fire and emergency services – Sarah found her calling at the NVFC in 2005. After serving as deputy chief executive since 2006, Sarah became CEO in 2021. She oversees all of the organization’s operations, from membership to programs, and loves the sense of community and giving back her position provides.

In addition to a bachelor’s degree, Sarah has a master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management, is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive through the American Society of Association Executives, and holds a certificate in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Sarah serves as the membership chair with the Purcellville Volunteer Fire Department in Virginia, where she helps with recruitment and retention. In her spare time, Sarah can be found planning her family’s next camping adventure, volunteering at her kids’ schools, or buried in a good book.