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Wolford named Applegate interim fire chief By Mail Tribune staff Updated: Oct 21, 2022 05:47 PM A A A first responder who’s served as Applegate Valley Fire District No. 9’s operations chief for nearly two decades has been promoted to interim chief. Chris Wolford was promoted to the leadership role Wednesday by the fire district’s board of directors, according to a news advisory posted Friday on the agency’s official Facebook page. Wolford accepted the position with the encouragement of his wife, Serena, and 22-year-old daughter Ashley. Wolford grew up in the Rogue Valley and graduated from South Medford High School in 1991. He began his firefighting career in 1998 as a volunteer with the city of Phoenix while attending Rogue Community College. He earned his fire science degree from RCC in 2000, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in fire service administration from Western Oregon University in 2016. Wolford joined Applegate Valley Fire District in 2003 as operations chief, where for the past 19 years he’s worked as the district’s training officer overseeing crews of staff and volunteer firefighters, and filled in for the chief. In his two decades with the fire district, he’s also honed his grant-writing skills. He’s brought in more than $2 million in grants covering everything from fire equipment and apparatus to training to “a comprehensive health and wellness program,” according to the release. Wolford’s grant writing earned him a Meritorious Award of Excellence from Oregon Fire Chiefs Association in 2011. Wolford is certified by the National Fire Protection Association as a fire officer and instructor, as an Oregon Emergency Medical Technician, as a hazardous materials on-scene incident commander and as a rope, water and vehicle rescue technician. Wolford is a member of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Type 2 Incident Management Teams, where he serves as Type 2 Planning Section chief. He’s helped manage wildfires in seven states. He helped FEMA in Mississippi as a firefighter-paramedic after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and helped in the greater Seattle area during the early outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.