Chief Matis grew up in De Beque, Colorado and began his Fire Fighting/EMS career as a Volunteer Fighter in 2004 while attending De Beque High School.  He took over the leadership of the helm in July of 2021 as the interim Fire Chief and was elected by the Board of Directors to fill the Fire Chief position in March of 2022.  Prior to his position as Fire Chief for DFPD, he served on the De Beque Town Council, first as a Board Member, then as Mayor.  Forest brings almost 20 years of experience to the team, as well as a deep knowledge of the town, area, and people in the district.