Get to know #yourColletonFirefighter Jimmy Jacques on #firefighterfriday. Lieutenant Jacques is a volunteer assigned to Station 9 serving the Cottageville community. He joined Colleton County Fire-Rescue in 1998. Here is more information on Lieutenant Jacques:
Growing up, Jimmy always wanted to be a cop or firefighter. Jimmy and his brother, Dewayne, are nearly inseparable and are both in the fire service. They were introduced to the fire service by their uncle, Mack D. Mishoe, who worked for Charleston Fire Department. Jimmy remembers when his uncle would stop by after finishing a shift to have a cup of coffee with the boys’ mother, and he would tell them about his recent adventures at work. The boys were fascinated with the stories, and whenever they got the chance, they would gladly visit him at the fire station. The trio would explore the station and trucks together, and with every visit their level of interest and excitement would grow. After turning sixteen, Jimmy joined the Cottageville Fire Department as a junior firefighter. He took fire classes at night and on the weekends and became a certified firefighter at age eighteen. After graduating high school, he visited with the Charleston Fire Chief expressing interest to join the department. At the time, Charleston Fire Department was led by Chief Rusty Thomas, and he assured Jimmy that as soon as he had an opening he would be hired. Jimmy was drawn to Charleston Fire Department based on his time with his uncle, and Charleston Fire was known to be the best and one of the most aggressive departments in the state. The call didn’t come soon enough for Jimmy, so he accepted a part time position at Goose Creek Rural until Chief Thomas called him in 2001. 2001 was a memorable year for Jimmy; he was promoted with Colleton County Fire-Rescue from volunteer firefighter to volunteer Lieutenant, and he was offered his dream job at Charleston Fire. His first assignment with Charleston was Engine 10. After making his way through several more fire classes and different station assignments, he was promoted to Captain; in 2017, he was promoted to Battalion Chief. He currently serves as Battalion 104 on A-shift. In addition to Jimmy holding numerous fire certifications and his NREMT-B, he is also a reserve police officer with Cottageville Police Department. Jimmy loves his job and says, “Despite serving for twenty-five years, I still wake up every third day excited! I work everyday to better myself, and I believe you are never too old to stop learning”.
In his limited time off of serving two communities, Jimmy enjoys hunting and boating.
