John has 17 years in the fire service split between two eras (as of 2023). As a young man, he spent 10 years with Penn Hills #7, a widely respected and very professional volunteer fire department. During that time, he served as a line officer and PA State fire instructor. 

John received an AS degree in Fire Science and Administration as well as a full range of other fire and rescue certs. After a short stint as a contract line firefighter with the Wilkinsburg Fire Department he worked as a Fire Protection Specialist for the 700-bed Allegheny General Hospital complex in Pittsburgh. 

He later moved to California and obtained a BA in Organizational and Living Systems. Always eclectic, he worked as a non-profit business consultant, and international conference coordinator, developed and ran a diversity education program recognized by the White House, and started his computer consulting business. 

After moving to the PNW, a visit to CCFD3’s Station 35 reminded him that the fire service was the only thing in life he missed, so he challenged himself by going through fire academy at 63 years old. He now is an IAAI-FIT Fire Investigator and a member of the Technical Rescue Team and the Wildland Fire Team. 

John craves learning anything and everything, he is a SCUBA instructor, and enjoys biking and kayaking. 

He is overwhelmingly grateful every day that he gets to do this work and even more so because he gets to respond to calls with his loving and amazing wife, Chaela.