Eric James

HOUGHTON — When alarm bells go off later this year for a fire in Houghton, a new chief will be leading the response.

Eric James, currently the department’s second assistant chief, was appointed Wednesday to replace Chief Mike Reynolds, who is retiring in September.

James joined the department in 2007. A friend James worked with after moving to the area had suggested he put in an application.

“It was a good group of guys and a good department to join, and I had nothing else much to do, just working and going to school,” he said. “So I applied.”

He’s served as training officer, captain, and now second assistant chief for at least five years. The most rewarding part of serving, aside from volunteering his time for the community, has been the camaraderie and friendship within the department.

“I don’t have any family up here, I’m not from this area originally, so the fire department pretty much kind of became my adopted family,” he said. “For me that’s one of the biggest things that the department gives back … and I like doing it, and can do the work, so obviously that’s rewarding on its own.”

James said he put his name in for consideration to continue the improvements he’s seen in his time with the department, such as community involvement and teamwork within the department.

“It’s gotten to be a really, really great environment under Chief Reynolds’ tenure, and I just want to keep that going,” he said.

Reynolds has been an “awesome mentor,” James said. Over the years, Reynolds has given him advice periodically about how to manage a group of various personalities to keep the department successful. He’s also learned through watching Reynolds, previous Chief Jim Lightfoot and other senior leaders.

“We have a really good group of guys and women on the department,” he said. “People know what they need to do. You don’t need to micromanage. So you just let them do what they’re supposed to do and keep an eye on everybody and give them some guidance here and there.”

One change James wants to see is adding more people. The department has 24 firefighters on the roster, 17 of whom are full-time. About 20% of the members are Michigan Technological University students, who aren’t in the area year-round. Along with Reynolds, three other longtime members are also retiring, some of whom have been with the department for more than 40 years.

“I really would like to get some new people that live in the area and are going to be around for a long time to learn from those guys while they’re still here, because that’s how the whole thing works,” he said. “You learn something everytime you go somewhere. And it’s that long-term knowledge that gets passed on that’s important.”

The department will follow the lead of other departments around the country to get the word out on social media. It might also borrow a tactic from a department closer to home: Hurontown, which put a call out for recruiters with a banner on the side of its fire hall.

If any job fairs or other community events come up, James will also try to get the word out there. It will be a chance to correct any outdated misconceptions people might have about the department, he said.

“It’s not the old days of the good ol’ boys club,” he said. “Everything’s pretty serious. There’s lots of training. Everything’s covered, so there’s no cost to anybody who joins for having to take the time for further courses or gear.”

Why should people join? “Your community needs you,” James said. In most months, it only requires three or four hours a month, he said. Though more severe situations can take longer, most calls out are short runs of 20 to 30 minutes.

“We have a pretty good record for response times and calls and structures and anything else that has happened over the last several years,” he said. “And the only way we can do that is by keeping up our numbers, keeping people that are properly trained up and educated and people that are committed to volunteering and showing up.”