Jim began his career in 1980 as a volunteer firefighter with Sandy Fire District #72 in Sandy OR. Jim’s full-time career started in 1981 with Estacada Rural Fire District #69 where he worked for about a year and a half before moving to the City of Lake Oswego Fire Department. Jim spent over five years with the Lake Oswego Fire Department promoting to apparatus operator before moving on to the Portland Fire Bureau.

Jim worked for over 28 years with Portland Fire spending time in Fire Investigations, Training and Safety, Hazardous Materials, and the Operations Division as a firefighter, company officer, and chief officer. One of his favorite assignments in Portland was the rank of Battalion Chief, working in all of the city’s four battalions during his time in this assignment. Jim promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief before retiring in 2016.

Some of Jim’s duties at UCFD #1 include the development and implementation of the department’s Strategic Planning process, supervising and grant management for the Community Paramedic Program, managing the department mobile technology program, and serving as the departments Liaison with Umatilla County Dispatch. 

Jim is married with four children and six grandchildren.