Assistant Española Fire Chief John Wickersham celebrated 18 years with the Española Fire Department on July 16, but the first time he responded to a fire call happened a couple of decades earlier.
Growing up, his nana was a volunteer firefighter with the Bernalillo Fire Department and back then, the rules were a little bit more relaxed, Wickersham said. He remembers how one time she put him in the back of a fire truck and took him to the scene of a severe accident.
“I was probably 10 or 12, but they landed a helicopter, and I just remember that and listening to the radio at night and her going to meetings, and that started my curiosity and love of firefighters,” he said.
That was the beginning of a lifetime dedicated to helping others. In high school, Wickersham got involved in sports medicine and training with the different sports teams, and after graduation, he went on to become a journeyman fire sprinkler fitter. His passion of working directly with people and his interest in firefighting merged when he joined La Puebla Volunteer Fire Department and became an emergency medical technician.
Since starting his career with the department 18 years ago, Wickersham added political action to his list of passions. He became the department’s union president, but vacated the position once he moved into the assistant chief position. He began lobbying at the New Mexico Legislature and working with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office to secure funding for the city’s fire stations. Over the years, he has helped the city obtain millions of dollars to build and improve the fire stations, as well as create Northern New Mexico’s only fire training facility.
Wickersham’s career reached a new level on Friday, when Grisham appointed him to the state’s Fire Grant Council.
“I am so super excited and super humbled,” Wickersham said of his appointment. “You know, just to be recognized on that level … it just makes me feel really good.”
He applied for the appointment earlier this year when he learned a member was leaving their position.
According to the State Fire Marshal’s Office website, the council awards Fire Protection Grant Funds to counties and municipalities across the state.
These funds come from a 3% premium included on home, vehicle and other insurance policies, according to the website. The Fire Marshal’s Office distributes half of this money to departments based upon their Insurance Services Office rating, which measures how well a department can protect its community. The other half of the money is distributed by the Fire Grant Council.
The Council is made up of representatives from the New Mexico Municipal League, the New Mexico Association of Counties, Fire Services Council appointees and one from each Congressional district appointed by the governor. The fire marshal serves as a non-voting advisory member.
The council’s responsibility is to “develop criteria for assessing the critical needs of municipal fire departments and county fire districts” for equipment, building new fire stations, stipends for volunteer firefighters and recruitment and retention programs.
Wickersham hopes he can help departments across New Mexico decrease their ISO ratings because a lower rating means departments are better equipped to handle fires.
“It is just an opportunity to get involved statewide and learn about fire departments and their needs and just help out with fire protection,” he said.