Photo by Erin Nelson.
Shawn Jackson, newly retired deputy chief, stands in front of a photograph of a woman and her child that Jackson aided in rescuing during a fire, at the Vestavia Hills fire administration office at City Hall.
For the past 26 years, Shawn Jackson has been with the fire service, and the last 19 of those years have been with the city of Vestavia Hills.
At the time of his hire in 2003, Vestavia Hills was only hiring paramedics, which is where he started out before becoming a lieutenant in 2008. He rose through the ranks and became deputy chief in 2019 before retiring in late April.
“You just kind of know when it’s time,” Jackson said.
He said the firefighters he has come to know in his time in the city have all been friendly. When his grandmother passed away, the department sent a truck and personnel to the service when it didn’t have to. He has been able to get to know people for who they are and work alongside so many types of people, he said. He’ll remember the way guys reacted to a bad call and talking through issues with them, he said.
“There was just something friendly about those guys,” Jackson said. “I spent more time with them than my own family at times.”
Jackson began his career as a dispatcher with the Center Point Fire Department in 1996 and three years later became a full-time firefighter with the department. As all firefighters do, he spent a lot of his time at the department, eating breakfast, cleaning the station, cutting the grass and more, in addition to running fire calls and responding to emergencies.
“I always wanted to be in it [the fire service] as a kid,” Jackson said.
The first few years in the service are “more about you,” Jackson said, as firefighters climb through the ranks and reach where they want to go. Later, however, it becomes about other people and helping others, he said.
In his supervisory roles, Jackson said he always tried to help firefighters with their problems, which are always personal, professional or an equipment problem. He’s proud of finishing his career by helping out the guys, he said.
The people in Vestavia Hills have been great as well, he said. They’ll come around during the holidays or during inclement weather and bring baked goods and well wishes. Those positive interactions have been especially meaningful during terrible weather events such as the tornadoes of 2011 or the “Snowmageddon” of 2014, he said.
Being a firefighter has also allowed Jackson to gain a different perspective on life.
“We see people at their worst experiences,” Jackson said. “When you see people at their worst … it changes your perspective of what a bad day really is. It puts life in perspective.”
Fire Chief Marvin Green said Jackson leaves a legacy behind him in the city and Fire Department.
“We are appreciative of Shawn’s contributions to the city of Vestavia Hills,” Green said. “His impact to the community and its residents stretches beyond the fire station and into the lives of everyone he touches. His imprint to the organization is immeasurable and he will be missed.”
In retirement, Jackson said he plans to spend time with family, something he missed over the years. He has adult children as well as grandchildren now.
Jackson won’t be leaving the fire service completely, however. He’s been teaching the past 12 years and has been offered a job as the program director of EMS training at Herzing College.
