Reserve firefighter inspired by heroism on 9/11
Mike Jacobs has been a reserve firefighter with the Healdsburg Fire Department since 2011. In 2017, he worked 105 shifts, completed 134 hours of training, worked 1,839 hours, went on 265 runs and participated in all of the fire department’s association activities.
He did all of that while taking classes at the Santa Rosa Junior College for an Associate of Arts degree in Fire Technology and while working full-time as a manager at McLea’s Tire and Automotive in Windsor, all while exhibiting what his superiors call “excellent work ethic and positive attitude.” It is for all these reasons and more that Jacobs has been honored as Healdsburg’s 2017 Firefighter of the Year, which was announced earlier this month.
“For me, it’s been a huge honor,” Jacobs said. “It’s something that obviously takes a lot of time and effort, (as well as) time away from our families. It’s been quite an honor and I take a lot of pride in it.”
“Mike Jacobs has always shown a strong commitment to our department and been a committed reserve firefighter,” said Healdsburg Fire Chief Jason Boaz. “He had an outstanding year and has the excellent work ethic and positive attitude that is exactly what we look for in a reserve firefighter.”
Jacobs, 38, was born in Los Angeles County, but moved to Sonoma County when he was 10. He graduated from Cardinal Newman High School. When the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks occurred, like many young people, Jacobs was moved by what he saw on his television.
“The events of 9/11, after seeing all of that on TV; the heroism and the integrity and strength the firefighters showed going into the towers. It is what inspired me and lit a spark in me. I went down the next day and got an application,” Jacobs said. “At the time, I was working at an automotive dealership and didn’t know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. I was looking for something greater than what I was doing at the time. It was decision-maker for me.”
Jacobs began his volunteer (or reserve) firefighter duties with the Windsor Fire Department and spent eight years with them before a relocation to Healdsburg had him joining the Healdsburg department in 2011. Jacobs attended an in-house fire academy and also completed the Firefighter 1 academy through the Santa Rosa Junior College. It was his desire to provide public service that kept driving him forward.
“Being able to give back to the community; I feel public service is a very important issue and topic,” Jacobs said. “I never went through the military, so this was a way to give back to the community, because I’ve been very fortunate.”
Because his schedule is so packed, it can take a toll on personal relationships, so Jacobs considers himself very lucky to have a 15-year relationship with his girlfriend Jenny Gilliam, and that her own history gives her special understanding of the challenges he faces.
“She’s OK with it,” he said. “Her father (Ben Gilliam) was a firefighter and engineer with Healdsburg for 26 years. She was born and raised around the schedule. It’s not the easiest, but she gets it.”
“One thing I would like to add, the time and effort that our families put into it, they keep things going while we’re gone and keep normalcy in our lives,” he continued. “We wouldn’t be able to do it without the love and support of our families and loved ones. It’s a big honor for us, but huge for them, too. It’s important to thank them.”
Jacobs’ schedule got even more hectic when the firestorms in October struck. He spent the first three to four days of the disaster, providing backup at the station for the engines that were out on blazes, and then on his off days he worked at the “helitac” base.
The Healdsburg airport was closed to normal traffic during the disaster and it was the staging area for the water drop helicopters that worked on the fires. It is standard procedure to have a fully staffed engine (called the “crash rig”) on site at all times, ready to respond in case a helicopter crashes during take off or landing, the most common times.
“It was pretty stressful,” he said of his time during the October fires. “We’ve seen it on strike teams and when we’ve gone out of the area, but its nothing like being in your own backyard,” he said, adding, “I think (Jenny and I) figured that out of 18 days, I was home a grand total of eight hours.”
On the rare occasion that Jacobs has time off, he likes to go scuba diving or to ride his motorcycle out to the coast and, “just try to enjoy the nature and other things that Sonoma County has to offer.”
Boaz said that normally there are between three and five candidates for Firefighter of the Year and that “the award is a way to recognize a single individual for their contributions over the last year. We’re very lucky all our reserves are really active in our department. It’s really challenging to pick because we have a lot to choose from. But this year, Mike stood out for all he accomplished. He went above and beyond.”
Jacobs is finishing his degree and is hoping to make his passion his career.
“I plan to continue the hard work and I’m hoping to land a full-time position,” he said. “I’m going back to school to get my AA degree, it’s a personal goal I set for myself after a long hiatus off of school. It would definitely benefit me in terms of getting a position. With the approval that the (Healdsburg) city council (recently) gave for more staffing (at the fire house) I thought it would be a good opportunity.”
