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Mike Grimes joined the department just after high school when he moved into the area. His father was a career firefighter in Los Angeles, CA. Mike met a volunteer fire Captain in church who worked at the Drain Rural Fire District, and encouraged him to join. After joining and beginning training for about four months, he then decided to go to college in Idaho.
After four years, during which he met and married his wife Cathey and had two of his three children, he moved back to Drain and re-joined the department in 1985. Mike was a firefighter and reached the rank of Captain before his promotion to Volunteer Assistant Chief in 1993. After the Department acquired the Ambulance from the City, Mike recertified as an EMT and began running calls on the Medic units. After Drain, Rice Hill, and Yoncalla districts merged into North Douglas County Fire & EMS, Mike was hired on full-time as Assistant Chief in 2015.
"I have always enjoyed the opportunity to be of help to my neighbors, and friends in their hours of need. The challenges of becoming knowledgeable, skilled and confident in the disciplines first responders bring to a "bad day" are more than rewarded when the people in our community need YOU to be there for them, and you can step up to the task with others in the department knowing you have the equipment, training and experience to make a difference. Volunteering is not something you do, it's who you are. Firefighting or emergency medical response may not be the path you choose but volunteering at something is how you can make the world you live in better. The camaraderie and excitement in the fire service are big rewards for the work involved, but they give you a cool hat too."
Thank you Mike for your many years of service!