South Metro Fire Rescue Wellness Program

Christian Macklin, Health & Wellness Officer

Chris has been an emergency responder since 1991 when he became an EMT.  He gained employment at REED Ambulance in Denver Colorado, a traditional “mom and pop” private ambulance company.  In 1992 he graduated from St. Anthony’s Hospital Paramedic Program.  Chris was employed as a Denver Health Paramedic for 10 years and was promoted to Field Instructor and Senior Paramedic in 1998.  He also held positions as a Bike Medic, Denver International Airport Medic and worked occasionally in the dispatch center while employed there.

In 2002 Chris joined South Metro Fire Rescue as a Firefighter/Paramedic.  He was promoted to Engineer in 2010, became the Training Engineer in 2016 and accepted a role in Wellness in the Fall of 2017 as the Wellness Manager.

In 2012 as an Executive of IAFF Local 2164, Macklin participated in labor conversations with management to institute a Wellness Program in light of catastrophic events that occurred during our Incumbent Physical Ability Test.  In the Fall of 2013, he was placed in an administrative assignment to hire our first Wellness employee and create the foundation for our medical, physical and behavioral health programs.  What began as a one employee shop in 2013 is now a staff of 12 taking care of 750 SMFR employees.  Chris’ core value in his work in Wellness is the tenant, everything we do is for the greater good.

In 2012 Macklin joined and became the coordinator of our Peer Support Team.  He had struggled with his recovery from responding to the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 as a Denver Paramedic.  This experience with the contemporary lack of organizational sponsored Peer Support Teams, lack of culturally competent and trauma trained clinicians and lack of alternatives to talk therapy have guided me in this work.  Chris has obtained a greater understanding of stress injuries and seeks opportunities to care for the men and women that respond to emergencies on a daily basis.  He believes organizations have a responsibility to provide a safe and supportive workplace where members are free to express and normalize their reactions and experiences so they may seek help without fear.

Leave it better than you found it, for the greater good.

Meg Williams, Physical Therapist

Meg joined the SMFR in 2023. She is a Colorado native that moved around quite a bit growing up, including living in Australia and then mostly growing up in the Boston area. Meg graduated with her B.S. in Athletic Training from the University of Michigan, where she worked with men’s football, basketball, hockey, baseball, wrestling, and women’s gymnastics and field hockey. She then moved back to Boston where she earned her doctorate of physical therapy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Shortly after finishing her doctorate, she moved back to Denver and began working at Steadman Hawkins Clinic Denver where she spent the first 13 years of her career. At UC Health Steadman Hawkins Clinic, Meg served as a Specialist Physical Therapist, lead of the knee specialist interest group, residency mentor, physician liaison, and treated a wide range of orthopedic injuries and post-operative patients, specializing in knee, shoulder, hip, and ankle. Meg also attained her board certification as an orthopedic specialist.

When not at work, Meg enjoys running, Orange Theory, skiing, hiking, backpacking, paddleboarding, and spends a lot of her time watching her 3 kids play youth sports with her husband and Alaskan malamute.

Jeremy Gage, Physician Assistant

Jeremy joined  SMFR  in a grant-funded position in 2024. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s CHA/PA program in 2020 and has a background working in Primary Care and Urgent Care. He believes strongly in integrating both lifestyle and medical approaches to health concerns in the setting of patient autonomy and respect. His professional interests include the management of chronic respiratory diseases. He lectures at the University of Colorado CHA/PA program’s cardiovascular/pulmonary block and is involved in the mentorship and precepting of PA students.

Outside of work, Jeremy enjoys weightlifting, fly fishing, and reading.

Carla Ahrenholtz, Wellness Program Manager

Carla started with the fire service in March 2015 as a Community Risk Reduction Specialist for Littleton Fire. Before that, she worked in museum education, managing projects, programs, staff, and volunteers for over a decade. In June 2021, she joined the South Metro Fire Rescue Wellness Program to fill the newly created role of Wellness Program Manager.

Carla loves working with, encouraging, and supporting our modified employees as they navigate their temporary assignments. She is passionate about helping people find success and meaning even in challenging times. She is continuing to grow and improve the modified duty program to ensure it is a productive and essential part of South Metro Fire into the future.

Carla is a Colorado native and has a BS degree in Zoology from Colorado State University. She and her husband Jay have been married since 2007, have one son Jamison born in 2010, and three rescue pups. In her free time, Carla loves having fun with friends and family, animals and nature, and traveling and adventures.

Josie White, Athletic Trainer

Josie joined SMFR in 2023 from the University of Denver, where she was a certified athletic trainer for the past 15 years. Working primarily with the men’s lacrosse team providing comprehensive medical coverage, including injury evaluation, rehabilitation, and return to sport protocols.

Prior to the University of Denver, Josie was a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Iowa. She provided medical coverage for the women’s soccer team and men’s and women’s tennis teams while earning her Master’s Degree in Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity.

With certifications in Dry Needling, Corrective Exercise, Reflexive Performance Reset, and Dynamic Taping, Josie takes a biomechanical approach to her treatments and rehabs. Making sure her patients return to function and a safe and efficient manner.

In her free time, Josie likes to hike with her dog Arya and travel.

Dr. Carrie Burns, District Physician

Dr. Burns completed her emergency medicine residency at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC. After working several years north of Charlotte, she chose to return to the west and practiced emergency medicine at Flagstaff Medical Center.  During that time she served as the EMS Medical Director for over 10 Fire and EMS agencies and 600 EMTs and Paramedics. The region of coverage included Northern Arizona, the Navajo and Hopi reservations, Southern Utah and the Grand Canyon National Park.  Upon moving to Colorado, she chose to step away from emergency medicine and began working in urgent care and occupational medicine for 9 years.  In 2022, Dr. Burns had the opportunity to come back home to her roots in Emergency Medical Services and began working at  South Metro.

Outside of work she can be found training and competing in dog sports such as dock diving and agility or exploring areas in search of wildlife to photograph.

Trae Tashiro, MEd, LAT, CSCS

Trae Tashiro joined South Metro Fire Rescue Wellness Program in 2015. Tashiro is a Colorado native from Longmont.  He earned an undergraduate degree in kinesiology in 2001 from the University of Northern Colorado.  From there, Tashiro earned his master’s degree in Sports Medicine at the University of Virginia. After UVA, Tashiro spent the following year working at the University of Denver as an athletic training intern.

Over the next three years, Tashiro was an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Arizona before having the opportunity to return to the Centennial State becoming an assistant athletic trainer with the Denver Broncos.  From there he went to work at the University of Colorado with the Men’s Basketball team before moving to the University of Colorado Sports Medicine clinic in Denver.

Tashiro and his wife Kim have a son, Grayson and daughter, Poppy.

Becky Grantham, MS, LAT

Becky Grantham joined the South Metro Fire Rescue Program in the Fall of 2021.  She came to SMFR from the Steadman Clinic in Vail, CO working as an Athletic Trainer and clinical assistant for a shoulder and knee specialist.

Becky Graduated from the University of New Hampshire in athletic training.  She began her career as an athletic trainer at the University of Denver working with Division 1 basketball, soccer, and skiing after completing her graduate assistant position at University of Tennessee.  She also traveled as an athletic trainer for USA Wrestling.  She left her position at DU to work as a athletic trainer/clinical extender for an Orthopedic surgeon at UC Health, prior to her position at the Steadman clinic.

Currently Becky lives in Golden, CO with her husband and dogs, and enjoys snowboarding, music, and cooking.

Shin Sakurai MAT RTS CSCS USAW

Shin Sakurai joined SMFR’s Wellness Program as a MAT (Muscle Activation Techniques) Specialist in July 2016.

Prior to his time in SMFR, Shin served as a clinical exercise specialist for Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center where he worked with people with disabilities including MS, TBI, Huntington disease, and other rare neurological disorders for 12 years. Prior to that, Shin was a clinical exercise specialist in employee wellness center for Swedish Medical center and Craig Hospital.

Shin is originally from Tokyo, Japan, having come to Denver in 1992. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 1999. Shin initially went through the MAT education program in 2003 and was certified in 2015.

Joy Anderson PT, ATC

Joy holds a degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and is also a certified Athletic Trainer. She has worked in orthopedic sports physical therapy for over 30 years. Prior to coming to work on the SMFR Wellness team in 2016, she was a senior level therapist for UCHealth Sports Physical Therapy clinic. She has also worked with the University of Denver Sports Medicine Department as the primary physical therapist for all sports for over 25 years, and has traveled extensively internationally as a PT/ATC with US Figure Skating and served as the physiotherapist for the US team at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Eddie Yoon MS, CSCS, USAW-SP

Eddie Yoon is a native of New Jersey who moved to Colorado to pursue undergraduate degrees in English and Psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Upon graduation, he began a career in sport management that spanned 11 years serving in various roles with USA Boxing and USA Taekwondo of the U.S. Olympic Committee. During this time, he attained a Master’s degree in Experimental Psychology from Northern Michigan University. Yoon’s interest in coaching and human performance grew through his experiences working at the USOC, which led to pursuing a career in strength and conditioning. This included serving as a strength and conditioning intern at the University of Colorado for nearly 2 years.

In 2015, Yoon moved to Ann Arbor where he worked with the Olympic sport teams at the University of Michigan as a strength and conditioning intern and Fellow. During his time at Michigan, he became a Graduate Assistant, working primarily with track and field while obtaining a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from Eastern Michigan University.

In January of 2019, Yoon joined the strength and conditioning team of the Wellness Bureau at South Metro Fire Rescue. He is an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and
certified as a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sport Performance Coach.

Tommy Ray Gayfield Jr. MS, CSCS, USAW, SCCC, CF-L1

Tommy Gayfield joined the South Metro Fire Rescue Wellness staff as a Strength & Conditioning coach in Spring 2020. Gayfield worked at the University of Michigan with men’s soccer and men’s lacrosse from 2016-2020. Prior to joining the Michigan staff, Gayfield worked with EXOS as a performance specialist from 2011-2016. Tommy is currently certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), USA Weightlifting (USAW) Level 1, CrossFit as a Level 1 Trainer, EXOS as a Performance Specialist (XPS) and Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (SCCC). Gayfield is originally from St. Louis, Missouri.

Chris Sheckler MS, CSCS, FMS, USAW

Chris Sheckler started as a strength and conditioning coach at SMFR in March 2017.  Prior to SMFR, Sheckler spent six years as Assistant Director of Sports Performance at the University of Colorado, working primarily with the Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, and Lacrosse programs.  Prior to that, Sheckler was a strength and conditioning coach at Montana State University, where he worked directly with all 13 varsity athletic programs.  Sheckler obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Sport & Exercise Science from Dakota Wesleyan University, where he played football and competed in track and field.  He also obtained a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from South Dakota State University.  Sheckler is originally from Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Kent Bultemeier MEd, LAT, ATC, CES, PES

Kent’s greatest mentor was his grandfather who worked as a fire chief in his home town of Fort Wayne, Indiana.  He grew up around the fire department sparking his interest in the health and wellbeing of fire fighters.  Following years of working as an athletic trainer in collegiate athletics, Kent turned to the tactical athlete and joined the South Metro Fire Rescue Wellness Program in August of 2016.

Prior to his work with the fire service, Kent worked as an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Arizona from 2013-2016. While working with the Wildcat Football Program he implemented complex rehab protocols and worked with injury prevention software to help decrease injuries. Kent spent 2011-2013 at the United State Military Academy providing medical coverage for wrestling, men’s soccer, and baseball teams. At West Point, Kent was exposed to the tactical athlete and learned how to work with both military demands and athletics.

Kent obtained a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Purdue University in 2009 and his Master of Education in Leadership and Learning from Iowa State University in 2011. While earning his masters, Kent worked as the head athletic trainer of Cyclone Wrestling along with Men’s and Women’s Golf Programs.  Kent also holds certifications as a Corrective Exercise Specialist and Performance Enhancement Specialist.