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FIRE CHIEF RICH HIGGINS

Fire Chief Rich Higgins has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2002. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2006, to Shift Commander in 2009, and Deputy Chief in 2012. Before coming to the Ames Fire Department, Rich worked for the City of Ames, in the Public Works Utility Maintenance Department.

Chief Higgins received his Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from Des Moines Area Community College. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Upper Iowa University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Indiana State University. He is also certified by the State of Iowa as a Firefighter II, Instructor II, Fire Officer II, Inspector I, Driver Operator/Pumper, Confined Space and Hazardous Materials Technician.

DEPUTY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS TOM HACKETT
	Deputy Chief Tom Hackett has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2000, promoted to the position of Lieutenant in 2007, and then to Shift Commander in 2013. He earned his Associate's Degree in Fire Science from Des Moines Area Community College and earned a Bachelor of Art's degree in Public Administration from Columbia College in 2023. He is certified by the State of Iowa as a Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, Firefighter II, Driver/Operator: Pumper, Emergency Medical Responder, and Hazardous Materials Technician. Commander Hackett is also actively involved in the Ames Fire Department Honor Guard and Hazardous Materials training for the department.

DEPUTY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS TOM HACKETT

Hackett 2024

Deputy Chief Tom Hackett has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2000, promoted to the position of Lieutenant in 2007, and then to Shift Commander in 2013. He earned his Associate's Degree in Fire Science from Des Moines Area Community College and earned a Bachelor of Art's degree in Public Administration from Columbia College in 2023.

He is certified by the State of Iowa as a Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, Firefighter II, Driver/Operator: Pumper, Emergency Medical Responder, and Hazardous Materials Technician. Commander Hackett is also actively involved in the Ames Fire Department Honor Guard and Hazardous Materials training for the department.

DEPUTY CHIEF OF SUPPORT KAREN TAPPER
	Deputy Chief Karen Tapper has been with the Ames Fire Department since 1999, was promoted to Lieutenant in 2006, and then to Shift Commander in 2016. She has a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University and earned a Master’s Degree in Fire Rescue Executive Leadership from Waldorf University in 2019. She is certified by the State of Iowa as Fire Department Vehicle Diver Operator Pumper, Fire Officer II, Fire Officer I, Fire Service Instructor II, Fire Service Instructor I Fire Fighter II, Fire Fighter I, Emergency Medical Responder, and Fire Department Safety Officers Association Incident Safety Officer NFPA Standard 1521.

DEPUTY CHIEF OF SUPPORT KAREN TAPPER

Tapper 2024

Deputy Chief Karen Tapper has been with the Ames Fire Department since 1999, was promoted to Lieutenant in 2006, and then to Shift Commander in 2016. She has a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University and earned a Master’s Degree in Fire Rescue Executive Leadership from Waldorf University in 2019.

She is certified by the State of Iowa as Fire Department Vehicle Diver Operator Pumper, Fire Officer II, Fire Officer I, Fire Service Instructor II, Fire Service Instructor I Fire Fighter II, Fire Fighter I, Emergency Medical Responder, and Fire Department Safety Officers Association Incident Safety Officer NFPA Standard 1521.

COMMANDER DAVE FOLKMANN

Commander Dave Folkmann has been with the Ames Fire Department since 1997, promoted to the position of Lieutenant in 2009, and then to Shift Commander in 2019.

He is certified by the State of Iowa as a Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, Driver/Operator: Pumper, Emergency Medical Responder, and Hazardous Materials Technician.

COMMANDER DAVE FOLKMANN
	Commander Dave Folkmann has been with the Ames Fire Department since 1997, promoted to the position of Lieutenant in 2009, and then to Shift Commander in 2019. He is certified by the State of Iowa as a Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, Driver/Operator: Pumper, Emergency Medical Responder, and Hazardous Materials Technician.

COMMANDER NICK LUCCHESI
	Commander Nick Lucchesi has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2005, promoted to the position of Lieutenant in 2012, and then to Shift Commander in 2019. He is certified by the State of Iowa as a Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, Driver/Operator: Pumper, Paramedic, Hazardous Materials Technician.

COMMANDER NICK LUCCHESI

Commander Nick Lucchesi has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2005, promoted to the position of Lieutenant in 2012, and then to Shift Commander in 2019.

He is certified by the State of Iowa as a Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, Driver/Operator: Pumper, Paramedic, Hazardous Materials Technician.

COMMANDER BRAD JERKINS

Commander Brad Jerkins has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2002, promoted to the position of Lieutenant in 2016, and then to Shift Commander in 2022. Commander Jerkins has a Bachelor's Degree in Fire and Emergency Services Administration.

He is certified by the State of Iowa as a Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, Driver/Operator: Pumper, Emergency Medical Technician, and Hazardous Materials Technician.


	Commander Brad Jerkins has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2002, promoted to the position of Lieutenant in 2016, and then to Shift Commander in 2022. Commander Jerkins has a Bachelor's Degree in Fire and Emergency Services Administration. He is certified by the State of Iowa as a Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, Driver/Operator: Pumper, Emergency Medical Technician, and Hazardous Materials Technician.

INSPECTOR JASON ZIPH
	Inspector Jason Ziph has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2017. Prior to that, he was employed by the St. Joseph, MO Fire Department for 19 years, initially as a Firefighter, before being promoted to Fire Inspector/Investigator and Accelerant Detection Canine Handler. He has an Associates of Applied Science degree in Paramedic Technology from Missouri Western State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Individualized Studies degree from Charter Oak State College. He is now pursuing a Master of Science in Forensic Science degree from Oklahoma State University, studying Arson, Explosion, and Toolmarks Investigation. Inspector Ziph is certified as a Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I and II, Fire Instructor I, Fire Inspector I, and Fire Investigator through the State of Iowa. He is certified as a Fire Plans Examiner and Fire Inspector II through the International Codes Council, as well as a Certified Fire Investigator through the International Association of Arson Investigators. He holds the designations of Fire Marshal and Fire Officer from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and is a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers.

TRAINING OFFICER A.J. PLACH

Training Officer A.J. Plach has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2010 and was promoted to the position of Fire Training Officer in 2020. Training Officer Plach has an Associates Degree in Fire Protection from Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI and a Bachelors of Applied Studies in Fire and Emergency Response Management from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He has completed the Managing Fire Officer Program through the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

He is currently certified as a Firefighter I and II, Driver Operator Pumper and Aerial, Fire Officer I and II, Fire Instructor I, Fire Inspector I, Incident Safety Officer, Hazardous Materials Technician, and Emergency Medical Technician.

INSPECTOR JASON ZIPH

Inspector Jason Ziph has been with the Ames Fire Department since 2017. Prior to that, he was employed by the St. Joseph, MO Fire Department for 19 years, initially as a Firefighter, before being promoted to Fire Inspector/Investigator and Accelerant Detection Canine Handler. He has an Associates of Applied Science degree in Paramedic Technology from Missouri Western State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Individualized Studies degree from Charter Oak State College. He is now pursuing a Master of Science in Forensic Science degree from Oklahoma State University, studying Arson, Explosion, and Toolmarks Investigation.

Inspector Ziph is certified as a Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I and II, Fire Instructor I, Fire Inspector I, and Fire Investigator through the State of Iowa. He is certified as a Fire Plans Examiner and Fire Inspector II through the International Codes Council, as well as a Certified Fire Investigator through the International Association of Arson Investigators. He holds the designations of Fire Marshal and Fire Officer from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and is a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers.

Headquarters for Chief Fire Officers are located at:

Fire Station #1
1300 Burnett Avenue
Ames, IA 50010