Steve Vardaman is the Chief Operating Officer of Eagle County Paramedic Services. He has more than two decades of progressive EMS experience serving the Eagle County community and is dedicated to providing exceptional pre-hospital care and fostering strong partnerships within both the public safety and healthcare sectors.

Vardaman has been with ECPS since 2002, starting as an EMT. Over the years, he has advanced his career through various roles, including paramedic, field trainer, paramedic supervisor, and operations manager. He has also earned certifications as a Certified Flight Paramedic and a State of Colorado POST-Certified Reserve Sheriff’s Deputy; Vardaman is one of only 27 IBSC Certified Tactical Paramedics in Colorado. He also serves as a paramedic ski patroller for Vail Resorts, where he has contributed to developing advanced medical protocols for on-mountain injury response.

In Vardaman’s role as Chief Operating Officer, he is responsible for providing leadership, vision and innovation throughout all aspects of Eagle County Paramedics operations including: 911 ambulance transport services, community paramedicine, critical care interfacility transport services, wildland fire, backcountry search and rescue, tactical medical teams and supporting the training and clinical department.

Prior to embarking on his EMS career, Vardaman also worked locally at FirstBank of Vail, owned a home management company and was General Manager of the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater for several summers. Vardaman received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Iowa State University and moved to the Vail area in 1991.