Hoodland volunteer firefighter youngest in class

By Ty Walker, The Mountain Times

It’s been a long time since the Hoodland Fire District’s table has been full at dinnertime. But thanks to more volunteers joining the roster through the fire district’s training academy, they are breaking bread in larger numbers.

About a half dozen firefighters now typically gather for the feast. Finding a seat for everyone can be a problem but it’s a good problem to have.

Meet 2025 academy grad Joshua Nonamaker. At 18, he was the youngest in this class of 10 to earn his fire badge. He is the Fire Focus firefighter of the month for May.

“I really enjoyed it a lot,” Joshua said of his training experience. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I got my application in July of last year. It’s been a lot of fun going out on calls, being able to finally work shifts. It’s been a lot of fun getting to know everybody and going out on calls to help people.”

Also a 2025 graduate of Sam Barlow High School, Joshua grew up and still lives with his family in Gresham. He joined the Gresham Fire Cadets his senior year in high school and went on ride-alongs where he got to see first-hand what it was like to be part of a crew.

When he learned that Hoodland Fire District, just a 30-minute commute from Gresham, had an excellent training academy for volunteers, he jumped at the opportunity. He took his first steps toward reaching his ultimate goal of having a long career as a firefighter. He applied and was accepted.

“At the end of the day, I want to be able to make a difference in my community,” Joshua said. “I live in Gresham but spend a lot of time on the mountain. I want to be a career firefighter.”

He expects to finish classes this summer at Portland Community College in order to become a certified Emergency Medical Technician. He wants to get a few years experience of being an EMT in the field before deciding whether to pursue paramedic training.

“I have taken some of the prerequisites for becoming a paramedic to get those out of the way, if I decide to be a paramedic,” Joshua said. 

Joshua has enjoyed his experience at the Hoodland Volunteer Training Academy. He likes the people, he likes the area. He looks forward to volunteering for as many shifts as he can on the mountain.

“It’s a beautiful area, being right up next to the mountain,” he said. “All the firefighters there, I really enjoy being with them. We have a phrase: ‘We’re doing a lot with a little.’ So I enjoy that. I like having the camaraderie between everybody.”

When he’s not doing rig and gear checks, or practicing firefighter drills at Hoodland fire station, he lifts weights, goes running, and does cardio exercises. He ran the Hood to Coast relay last year, but will not participate this year because he’ll be busy volunteering for the fire district.

He also helps his grandmother working with the cattle on the family farm near Scappoose.

“I’ll probably work here (Hoodland Fire) a couple of  years, get my EMT license this summer then look for a career fire department to work for, probably AMR when I get my EMT license.”

During his free time, Joshua likes to play guitar and jam with friends, playing everything from alternative ‘90s rock and classic rock to country, from The Beatles to Led Zeppelin.

Hoodland is always accepting applications and looking for volunteers. Summer is the perfect time as the fire district gears up for its fall training academy. Reach out to Lt. Evan Jarvis at evanjarvis@hoodlandfire.gov for more information.