Molalla Fire District is currently served by 16 career staff that includes one full time office assistant and the Fire Chief. There are approx. 35 volunteer and support staff. Six of the line firefighter/paramedics were hired from a combination of Federal Grant Funding and passed tax levy in May of 2014. Below is our administrative personnel and their duties.
Fire Chief
Vince Stafford
Chief Stafford was born and raised in Molalla and continues a long-time family tradition in firefighting of a combined 70 years with his own career totaling over 30 years of service. He began as a Molalla volunteer firefighter in 1992 and became an officer by 1995. He obtained his paramedic certification in 1997, got hired at Central Coast Fire and Rescue eventually becoming their Fire Chief. In 2006 Chief Stafford was hired by the Molalla Fire District as their Fire Chief to which he oversees operations of the entire district that includes career and volunteer firefighting staff, three fire stations, and two on-call ambulances. He is currently a member of the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association, Treasurer of the Clackamas County Fire Defense Board, Council Member of the Clackamas County Emergency Medical Service and is an Operations Section Chief for the Oregon State Fire Marshals Incident Management Team.
Company Officers
Clint Shaver
Captain
Hi, I’m Captain Clinton Shaver. I am the Captain for the Main Station, Station 382. I started with the district in 1989 as a volunteer. In 2000, I achieved my goal and became a paid firefighter with the Molalla Fire District. I was born and raised in the greater Molalla area and lived here my entire life. I am proud to give back to the community I was raised in. My job is to oversee all daily shift operations, training and Shift Lieutenants. This covers all cleaning, maintenance and daily workings of the station. I currently work “B” Shift.
Mike Penunuri
Lieutenant
Lt. Penunuri (Pronounced pa-noon-err-eee) is a day shift staff member that was hired in March of 2000. Mike’s primary role is to serve as Fire Marshal for Molalla Fire District. His other duties include, but are not limited to, equipment maintenance that includes all apparatus, compressors and gas detection equipment. Mike is also responsible for maintenance and programming of all district communications equipment, pagers and mobile data computers. Mike also serves as the Safety Committee Chair Person.
Dustin Hamilton
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Hamilton, serves as the A shift lieutenant, holds a pivotal role as the district training officer for Molalla Fire District. His responsibilities encompass overseeing all facets of fire, rescue, and wildland training within the district. Lt. Hamilton is a devoted member of various training groups across the region, contributing to the enhancement of firefighting skills and knowledge.
Embarking on his firefighting journey in 2001 as a volunteer at Keizer Fire District, Lt. Hamilton’s commitment and passion led him to Sublimity Fire in 2009. Rapidly rising through the ranks, he assumed the role of training coordinator before joining Molalla Fire in 2018 through a SAFER grant. In 2022, he achieved the milestone of becoming a certified Paramedic, a testament to his continuous pursuit of excellence.
Lt. Hamilton is deeply rooted in a tradition of public service, being a third-generation firefighter, with his son proudly carrying the torch as a fourth-generation firefighter. Beyond his official duties, Lt. Hamilton generously invests his free time in educating others at Chemeketa Community College, volunteering with Sublimity Fire District, and managing his woodworking business.
Balancing a myriad of responsibilities, Lt. Hamilton cherishes moments spent with his wife, children, and two dogs. His unwavering dedication to both professional and personal pursuits exemplifies his commitment to community service and continuous self-improvement.
Ethan Hupp
Lieutenant
Ethan was hired in June 2017 and serves as the C-shift officer. He serves as the EMS Coordinator, responsible for all medical services provided by the Molalla Fire District, including licensing of ambulances, medical supply ordering, managing the District medical report writing software in coordination with other Clackamas County fire and EMS agencies, and managing the District’s involvement with several local and national medical research studies. Additional duties include shift scheduling, supervision of new career employee’s medical protocol testing, and monthly statistics related to emergency responses by the District. Ethan worked for a private ambulance company as a paramedic for several years prior to becoming a career firefighter with Molalla Fire District. He holds two associates degrees from Chemeketa in Fire Protection Technology-Suppression and Emergency Medical Technology- Paramedic.
Admin Staff
