La Pine Mourns Fire Captain Crash Victim

A celebration of life is planned next Saturday at La Pine High School for fire district Capt. James Palmer, killed in a crash on Highway 97 in La Pine last Friday evening.

The information released Monday by the La Pine Rural Fire District:

WHAT: Funeral Service

WHEN: Saturday May, 21, 2011 2:00 PM

WHERE: La Pine Senior High School 51633 Coach Road La Pine, Oregon

WHY: To honor the life of Captain, James J. Palmer

La Pine Fire District will join the Family, community and brethren firefighters in mourning the death of James J. Palmer a La Pine resident and Captain for the La Pine Rural Fire District who died from injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident on May 13, 2011. He was 37 years old.

The death of James is a tragic and sad reminder of how much the loss of public safety personnel affects our entire family.

Graduate of Chemeketa Community College (Salem, Oregon) with a Fire Protection Technology Degree and Oregon Certified Paramedic, began work at La Pine Rural Fire Protection District in 1999. He promoted to Captain in 2007 where he provided oversight and leadership for District personnel and rescue programs.

James gave more than 17 years dedicated to protecting and saving lives of La Pine and Oregon residents.

La Pine Fire District thoughts are with the Palmer family, whose lives have changed forever, but hope they, can take comfort in knowing that James was a hero and that his extended public safety family will always be in support.”

The news of Palmer’s death spread quickly through the community.

“It’s a tragic, big loss,” La Pine resident Gary Tilman said Monday. “Someone that was an outstanding citizen, to get taken away that early and leave his young family behind is a tragedy.”

Palmer was more than just a firefighter. He worked with local schools, teaching fire safety, and as a mentor for the youth of La Pine.

“The kids loved him, and they still talk about him today,” said Jennifer Wilson, a teacher at Rising Stars Preschool. “‘Firefighter James’ is what they’ve always called him. And when we see him at the Fourth of July parade, Frontier Days and stuff, we have a float, and the kids will see him out there, they get all excited and wave and yell to him. They just loved him.”

Palmer’s co-workers are still coming to terms with the loss of one of their very best.

“A very loving individual,” said La Pine Assistant Fire Chief Dan Daugherty. “He was very open, fantastic to work with and for, and so he’s going to be missed a great deal.”

He is survived by his wife and two children, ages 8 and 11.

After more than a decade of service, some say it will take a lifetime to forget a man so giving.

“He was the one that always came in with a big smile and was really excited to see the kids,” Wilson said. “He would do anything that we asked whenever we wanted him to come he would go above and beyond our expectations.”

The fire district and Baird Memorial Chapel of La Pine are coordinating services.

Donations to the family can be made through US Bank, the James Palmer Memorial Fund

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Saturday’s story:

An off-duty La Pine Fire District captain was killed and two other La Pine residents injured in a two-car crash Friday evening on Highway 97 at La Pine State Recreation Road, Oregon State Police said.

Trooper Scott Sogge said that around 5:35 p.m., a 2005 Honda Civic driven by James Judson Palmer, 37, was turning onto Highway 97 from State Rec Road when his car collided with a 1963 Chevy Nova driven by Roy Gus McMahon, 48.

Palmer was pronounced dead at the scene, Sogge said. He had worked for the La Pine fire district since 1999.

Troopers said they did not know which direction Palmer was turning.

McMahon and his passenger, Kimberly Marie McMahon, 48, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken by ambulance to St. Charles Medical Center-Bend.

Roy McMahon was listed in fair condition at the hospital Saturday morning, a nursing supervisor said, while Kimberly McMahon apparently had been treated and released.

All three occupants reportedly were wearing seat belts at the time of the collision, Sogge said.

A short stretch of Highway 97 was reduced to one lane for over two hours during the investigation, he said. OSP troopers were assisted at the scene by Deschutes County sheriff?s deputies, La Pine fire crews and ODOT.