About Marcus Reed
Marcus Reed is the lead author and researcher at SurvivalStockUp. Unlike many preparedness writers who came to the topic through general lifestyle blogging, Marcus built his knowledge of emergency management through years of hands-on field work before writing a single word about gear.
He spent eight years as a wildland firefighter for the US Forest Service, deploying to major fire events across the American West. That experience, which required mastery of incident command systems, field medical response, communications under pressure, and equipment selection under life-safety constraints, forms the backbone of his approach to emergency preparedness writing.
Since leaving active firefighting in 2013, Marcus has worked as a FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trainer, teaching disaster preparedness skills to civilian volunteers across northern Colorado. He holds a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and is a certified CPR/AED instructor through the American Red Cross.
He has been writing about emergency preparedness publicly since 2011, with a focus on translating the professional emergency management world into practical, actionable guidance for families who don't have first responder training. His view: most people need a 72-hour kit and a plan, not a bunker and 10 years of food storage.
Education and Credentials
Academic
- B.S. Emergency Management - Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (2004)
Coursework included hazard mitigation, incident command, emergency planning, community resilience, and public health emergency response.
Professional Certifications
- Wilderness First Responder (WFR) - National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The WFR is the standard medical certification for remote emergency response, covering patient assessment, trauma management, environmental emergencies, and improvised treatment in settings without rapid EMS access.
- FEMA CERT Trainer - Federal Emergency Management Agency. Certified to train civilian volunteers in basic disaster response skills including fire suppression, search and rescue, and medical operations.
- CPR/AED Instructor - American Red Cross. Certified to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use to both lay responders and healthcare providers.
- ICS 100, 200, 700, 800 - FEMA Emergency Management Institute. Incident Command System training covering basic ICS structure, initial response, National Incident Management System, and National Response Framework.
- S-130/S-190 Wildland Firefighter - US Forest Service. Basic and intermediate wildland fire behavior and suppression certification.
Field Experience
- Wildland Firefighter, US Forest Service (2005-2013): 8 seasons on initial attack and extended attack crews across national forests in Colorado, California, and Oregon. Developed deep operational familiarity with emergency gear, field communications, and decision-making under acute stress.
- FEMA CERT Program Volunteer and Trainer (2013-present): Teaches community emergency response training twice per year in Fort Collins, CO. Has trained over 300 civilian volunteers.
- Backcountry first aid: Regular participant in NOLS and Wilderness Medical Associates refresher courses. Applies WFR skills annually in backcountry hiking and backpacking.
- Emergency gear evaluation (2011-present): Has purchased, tested, and evaluated over 200 pieces of emergency and survival gear under field conditions including water filtration systems, fire starting tools, emergency radios, solar generators, first aid kits, and food storage products.
Why Trust Marcus Reed's Recommendations?
The emergency preparedness category online is full of reviewers who have never deployed to an actual emergency and writers who evaluate gear from an office. Marcus's approach is different:
- He has used emergency gear under actual operational conditions. His years as a wildland firefighter required constant evaluation of packs, communication gear, water treatment, and medical supplies in conditions where equipment failure has real consequences.
- He has formal emergency management training. His B.S. in Emergency Management and his FEMA certifications give him a framework for understanding not just what gear to buy but how emergencies unfold and how families can structure their response.
- He understands what average families can realistically do. As a CERT trainer, Marcus has spent years helping ordinary people, not trained first responders, become more prepared. He knows where beginners get overwhelmed and what actually matters in a real emergency.
- He does not take paid placements. SurvivalStockUp's editorial policy prohibits brands from paying for positive coverage. Every product ranking on the site is based on hands-on testing and independent research.
Areas of Expertise
Editorial Standards and Methodology
Every guide published on SurvivalStockUp follows a documented review process:
- Hands-on testing where feasible. Water filters are run under field conditions. Emergency food products are stored and tasted. Bags are loaded and worn. First aid kits are inventoried and assessed against ANSI/ISEA standards.
- Specification verification. Claims from manufacturers are cross-checked against independent lab data, certification bodies (NSF, USDA, ANSI), and FEMA or Red Cross guidelines where applicable.
- Sourcing from authoritative guides. FEMA's Ready.gov checklists, Red Cross preparedness guides, and CDC public health advisories are used as baseline benchmarks for what any kit should contain.
- Regular reviews. Core product guides are revisited every 6 months. Discontinued products are removed. New entrants are evaluated.
- No pay-for-placement. Brands do not pay for inclusion in any guide. Affiliate commissions are earned only when readers choose to purchase - they do not influence rankings or recommendations.
Ready to Get Prepared?
Start with Marcus's beginner's guide - a step-by-step roadmap for building your first emergency kit on any budget.
Start Here: Beginner's Guide Build a 72-Hour Kit