Chief Jim St. John
James R. (Jim) St. John was appointed Chief of the Vestavia Hills, Alabama Fire Department in June 2008. He joined the department in 1988 and has served in various capacities as a firefighter, a medic assigned to the department’s Advanced Life Support Rescue unit and as a company officer on several engines including the department’s first Advanced Life Support fire engine. As a battalion chief he commanded a shift of fire fighters and fire officers located at the department’s five fire stations, and was later the department’s training officer.
Chief St. John was previously the department’s Special Operations Chief and his duties within the department have included chairing committees such as the Emergency Medical Services committee, the Rules committee, the Line-of-Duty Death committee, and membership on promotional and new-hire boards. Additionally, he is a member of the Mayor’s Health Committee.
In 2005 he retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Master Sergeant assigned as a Senior Infantry Sergeant and serving on a brigade staff as NCOIC of operations. Additionally, he served eight years as a flight medic, flying Medevac missions throughout the southeast United States and in Central America. In 2000 he was awarded the State of Alabama Governor’s Outstanding Enlisted Award.
For eight years he was the Director of the Emergency Medical Services Department at Bessemer State Technical College, which was then Alabama’s largest two-year college. During that time he was able to help hundreds of students achieve their community service and career goals. He also served on the State of Alabama Department of Public Health Emergency Medical Services Education Committee.
He holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University, where he was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Alpha Alpha honor societies, a BS in Public Safety Administration from Athens State University, an AAS in Fire Science from Jefferson State Community College and a certificate as a Paramedic from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Chief St. John is a graduate of the four-year Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, Maryland. He holds Chief Fire Officer Designation, is an Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor, certified Fire Officer IV, SCBA Specialist, Fire Instructor II, and is a member of the American Legion, the National Infantry Association, the Association of the United States Army, the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, a graduate of Leadership Vestavia Hills and serves on the Hoover, Alabama Mayor’s Veterans Committee.
Chief St. John lives in Hoover, Alabama with his wife Nancy and two daughters.
Deputy Fire Chief Lynn Bonner has been a member of the Vestavia Hills Fire Department since 1973. He has served in various capacities as a firefighter, a company officer, and assumed the shift commander’s duties when needed. As a lieutenant, he received a Certificate of Commendation from the Office of the Mayor in 1996. In 2000 he accepted a position in the fire administration division where he held the rank of captain and battalion chief as the department’s training and safety officer. In 2007 he became the department’s deputy fire chief where he oversees the fire operations division and the communications department.
Deputy Chief Bonner’s duties within the department have included chairing the Personal Protective Equipment committee, membership on promotional and new hire boards, and grant applications and administrations. He has also served as the chair of the Homeland Security Regional Task Force training committee, Alabama Mutual Aid System readiness report committee, Alabama Fire College course content advisory committee for leadership and instruction, a standing member of the Alabama Mutual Aid Executive Council Advisory Committee, and served at the Alabama Emergency Management Agency’s emergency operations center during hurricanes Ivan and Katrina. Additionally, he has served as the liaison to the Alabama National Emergency Number Association for the International Association of Fire Chiefs / Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs as well as president of the Central Alabama Fire Chiefs Association for 2009.
He holds an AAS in Fire Science from Jefferson State Community College and a certificate as an EMT-Basic from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Deputy Chief Bonner holds certificates for Fire Officer IV, Fire Instructor III, Fire Department Management, Fire Department Health and Safety Officer, Public Information Officer, SCBA Specialist, WMD Incident Management, and Hazardous Materials Technician.
Deputy Chief Bonner lives in Clay, Alabama with his wife Dianne. His family includes two sons, Derek and Kyle, daughter-in-law Adrienne, grandson Cameron and granddaughter Valerie.
Chief Jim St. John
James R. (Jim) St. John was appointed Chief of the Vestavia Hills, Alabama Fire Department in June 2008. He joined the department in 1988 and has served in various capacities as a firefighter, a medic assigned to the department’s Advanced Life Support Rescue unit and as a company officer on several engines including the department’s first Advanced Life Support fire engine. As a battalion chief he commanded a shift of fire fighters and fire officers located at the department’s five fire stations, and was later the department’s training officer.
Chief St. John was previously the department’s Special Operations Chief and his duties within the department have included chairing committees such as the Emergency Medical Services committee, the Rules committee, the Line-of-Duty Death committee, and membership on promotional and new-hire boards. Additionally, he is a member of the Mayor’s Health Committee.
In 2005 he retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Master Sergeant assigned as a Senior Infantry Sergeant and serving on a brigade staff as NCOIC of operations. Additionally, he served eight years as a flight medic, flying Medevac missions throughout the southeast United States and in Central America. In 2000 he was awarded the State of Alabama Governor’s Outstanding Enlisted Award.
For eight years he was the Director of the Emergency Medical Services Department at Bessemer State Technical College, which was then Alabama’s largest two-year college. During that time he was able to help hundreds of students achieve their community service and career goals. He also served on the State of Alabama Department of Public Health Emergency Medical Services Education Committee.
He holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University, where he was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Alpha Alpha honor societies, a BS in Public Safety Administration from Athens State University, an AAS in Fire Science from Jefferson State Community College and a certificate as a Paramedic from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Chief St. John is a graduate of the four-year Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, Maryland. He holds Chief Fire Officer Designation, is an Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor, certified Fire Officer IV, SCBA Specialist, Fire Instructor II, and is a member of the American Legion, the National Infantry Association, the Association of the United States Army, the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, a graduate of Leadership Vestavia Hills and serves on the Hoover, Alabama Mayor’s Veterans Committee.
Chief St. John lives in Hoover, Alabama with his wife Nancy and two daughters.
Deputy Fire Chief Lynn Bonner has been a member of the Vestavia Hills Fire Department since 1973. He has served in various capacities as a firefighter, a company officer, and assumed the shift commander’s duties when needed. As a lieutenant, he received a Certificate of Commendation from the Office of the Mayor in 1996. In 2000 he accepted a position in the fire administration division where he held the rank of captain and battalion chief as the department’s training and safety officer. In 2007 he became the department’s deputy fire chief where he oversees the fire operations division and the communications department.
Deputy Chief Bonner’s duties within the department have included chairing the Personal Protective Equipment committee, membership on promotional and new hire boards, and grant applications and administrations. He has also served as the chair of the Homeland Security Regional Task Force training committee, Alabama Mutual Aid System readiness report committee, Alabama Fire College course content advisory committee for leadership and instruction, a standing member of the Alabama Mutual Aid Executive Council Advisory Committee, and served at the Alabama Emergency Management Agency’s emergency operations center during hurricanes Ivan and Katrina. Additionally, he has served as the liaison to the Alabama National Emergency Number Association for the International Association of Fire Chiefs / Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs as well as president of the Central Alabama Fire Chiefs Association for 2009.
He holds an AAS in Fire Science from Jefferson State Community College and a certificate as an EMT-Basic from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Deputy Chief Bonner holds certificates for Fire Officer IV, Fire Instructor III, Fire Department Management, Fire Department Health and Safety Officer, Public Information Officer, SCBA Specialist, WMD Incident Management, and Hazardous Materials Technician.
Deputy Chief Bonner lives in Clay, Alabama with his wife Dianne. His family includes two sons, Derek and Kyle, daughter-in-law Adrienne, grandson Cameron and granddaughter Valerie.