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closeJim Bosch touts experience, no-nonsense approach
Incumbent seeks re-election for Fire District 16 Commission Pos. 2
Nate Hulings
of the Gateway
Jim Bosch is running for his third term as commissioner for Key Peninsula Fire District No. 16.
Bosch said his time spent with the department and his knowledge of its financial history and policies make him an important asset to the five-member board.
Next month’s lid lift levy is paramount to the department’s success, he said.
“The department has been affected by the recession,” Bosch said. “People can save money, but they are jeopardizing their safety and their family’s safety.”
Bosch’s two sons, Paul and Robert, both began volunteering with the fire department in the early 1980s. Paul is now a division chief and Robert is a battalion chief.
Bosch still remembers waking up at 2 a.m. to warm up his son’s trucks after he received an emergency call.
Bosch wanted to become a firefighter, but his poor vision kept him out of the profession.
Since becoming a fire commissioner, Bosch said he’s helped in the increase of ambulance staffing and in passing the truck levy to modernize the district’s vehicle fleet.
Bosch also is proud of helping craft a stringent drug and physical fitness program for the district.
“(Our) firefighters have zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs,” he said. “Their lives depend on it.”
Bosch also is highly involved in the community. He’s a member of Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and he’s a supporter of cancer awareness programs. He’s also served on local firefighter committees dealing with safety, health care and future planning.
Bosch was part of the Key Peninsula Community Planning Board, for which he served more than two years.
He and his wife, Donna, have been married for 39 years and have lived in the area for the same amount of time.
Bosch enjoys traveling to the Yukon Territory in Canada. Each February, he goes to Canada to watch dog sled racing.
At home, he enjoys landscaping his yard, tending to his grass, gardens and trails.
“My place looks sort of like a park,” he said.
Bosch worked for Tacoma Public Utilities as an electrical inspector and lineman for 30 years.