About Matthew Hartman
(RET) CAPTAIN MATTHEW HARTMAN
OPERATIONS AND RESILIENCE SME, Bluestone Services
Captain (Retired) Matthew Hartman entered public service in 1992 at the age of 16. Matt joined the Absecon VFW Volunteer Ambulance Squad and became a New Jersey Department of Health Certified Emergency Medical Technician. Through responding to hundreds of EMS calls of varying types Matt gained knowledge and appreciation for all aspects of Emergency Response (EMS, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Emergency Management). Later, as a member of Squad’s Command Staff, Matt was able to learn, implement and execute the frameworks of the Incident Command System as well as organizational dynamics, budgeting and the scheduling of personnel to ensure critical EMS coverage to the citizens.
Later, Matt worked in the Atlantic City Casino industry as a Lifeguard and then a Security Officer. His time as a Security Officer exposed him to a multitude of experiences and fueled his desire to become a Law Enforcement Officer. While working full time in that job, Matt became a 9-1-1 and EMD Certified Telecommunicator and worked part time for a multitude of agencies of varying size and responsibilities. Working for these agencies allowed the experience to triage crisis and dispatch the full breadth of critical emergency services.
In September of 1997 Matt left his security position and joined the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard. Matt was assigned to the 177th Security Forces Squadron and upon completion of Basic Training was trained in Military Law Enforcement and Air Base Ground Defense before returning to the 177th. Shortly after returning home Matt accepted a fulltime position at the 177th Security Forces Squadron.
In August of 2000 Matt returned to traditional Guardsman status to accept a full-time position as a Pleasantville (NJ) Police Officer. Upon completion of the Police Academy in December of 2000 Matt completed the Field Training Officer Program and was assigned to a patrol squad. Several months later the life changing events of September 11, 2001 occurred.
Matt, along with many others, were ordered to Active Duty at the 177th in support of Operation Noble Eagle. In December of 2002 Matt, along with 12 other flight members, was deployed to Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base, Uzbekistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During the 6-month deployment Matt, while on duty on base, was assigned various positions to include Entry Controller (Flightline), Patrol, Observation Post/Listening Post and Base Defense Operations Center (BDOC) Controller. Additionally, on their days off, Matt and his flight were afforded the privilege to provide on board flight crew security on board USAF C-130 aircraft during sorties in Afghanistan and Pakistan. While others might have taken a day off, Matt spent his “down-time” providing close in security for the aircraft while they on and offloaded cargo in austere and sometimes “insecure” airfields.
Upon his return from Noble Eagle, Matt entrenched himself in the Pleasantville Police Department. Serving in a variety of roles, including SWAT, Traffic Investigation, and Anti-Crime operations, Matt distinguished himself as a member of the team. Often chided for never taking a day off, Matt could be counted on to be the first person to a scene whether on or off duty. His dedication to the department’s mission and his people became the hallmark of his professional reputation.
Later, as Matt rose through the ranks of the department, he supervised and commanded every unit of the department from operations to administration and internal affairs. Eventually he would become the Operations Commander, responsible for all law enforcement operations in the City as well as all regional cooperative law enforcement operations. During this time Matt again distinguished himself as a reliable partner to county, state, and federal agencies, leading and coordinating a variety of task forces and cooperative operations. As the Executive Officer in charge of operations, Matt led strategy and tactics in the community to suppress crime while simultaneously engaging residents and stakeholders. While this was no easy task, his willingness to work tirelessly on behalf of the department and the Pleasantville community enabled him to lead in a way that was both operationally effective as well as procedurally just.
Having been twice commended for his actions during critical incidents, Matt now focuses on the resiliency of first responders across the spectrum to survive and thrive in a complex social and tactical ecosystem. As a master resiliency officer, Matt volunteers his time and expertise to responders preparing for and experiencing crisis.
In 2023, upon his retirement from the Pleasantville Police Department, Matt joined Bluestone Services as a key partner and architect of their mission to serve organizations in the Public Safety, Community Development, and Business space to improve operational and individual resiliency. Matt continues to work tirelessly on behalf of the community he loves as a consultant, an advocate for responder wellness, and as a youth basketball referee.