Matthew Kozma has been a volunteer with Search & Rescue since 1997.  His partner is K9 Aspen, a yellow Labrador, is NSDA certified in Airscent Live and Large Source as well as SARDUS certified in Human Remains Detection. While they specialize in large wilderness areas that require odor detection at distance, they also train for deployment in urban environments with scent discrimination.  Matthew has responded to over 400 missions in varying capacities including ground search, K9 search, communications, logistics, and search management.  

Matthew is the President of Chelan County Volunteer Search and Rescue (CCVSAR) which serves both Chelan and Douglas County Sheriff Departments. He a qualified Operations Leader and is the CCVSAR K9 Unit Leader.  In addition Matthew is a AKC Good Citizen Evaluator. 

Matthew started teaching and mentoring other K9 SAR Handlers in 2016 with a focus on creating better search dogs teams through a foundational approach.   Matthew has been a K9 Track Manager for the Washington State SAR Conference.  He has been a K9 Instructor for K9 workshops in Washington, Oregon and California.