McCandless joined the Yerington, Nevada Volunteer Fire Department in 1979. He has made ambulance runs with the department as an EMT.

Mohler received a degree in biology from the University of Nevada, Reno. He began working for AIDS Ambulance at age 19. In 1977 he began teaching CPR classes, and in 1980 he became an EMT. He became an RN in 1985 and began flying for St. Mary's Hospital's Care Flight.