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05/16/2018 08:30 AMFor more than three decades, Jim Oca has been a fixture of the East Haven Fire Department (EHFD). The lifelong resident started his career with the EHFD in 1985 as a volunteer firefighter with Company 1 before becoming a full-time firefighter and EMT in 1987.
“I started because my friends were volunteering and it looked like a nice thing to do, but once I became a volunteer, I was drawn to it,” says Jim. “After I’d been a volunteer for a year and a half, the job opened up, so I decided to take the test and I got the job.”
Just six years later, Jim was promoted to battalion chief, a position in which he has served ever since, making him the most senior battalion chief with the department. When he was promoted, he was just 26 years old and at the time, the youngest to ever be named battalion chief.
As battalion chief, Jim is a shift supervisor, which means on evening shifts night he’s responsible for running the crew and the firehouse. Jim and his crew work three, 10-hour day shifts, then have three days off, followed by three, 14-hour night shifts.
“It took a couple years to get used to the schedule, but it’s normal for me now because it’s been like that for 30 years,” says Jim, who holds a degree from The University of New Haven in fire science/occupational safety and is also a certified fire inspector by the State of Connecticut. “The crew you work with is almost always the same and they become a second family. We always have each other’s backs and look out for one another at work and family wise.”
Jim has been married to his high school sweetheart, Kim, for 29 years. The couple has two children, 26-year-old Jimmy who lives in Newport where the family enjoys spending time, and 24-year-old Katie, who lives in East Haven.
“My family has always been supportive,” says Jim, who enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time outdoors when he isn’t working. “As for my career, my crew is the key. They make me look good on a daily basis.”
Throughout his many years on the job, Jim says he has seen “just about everything, good and bad.” He has seen many improvements in technology and fire safety, as well as the addition of paramedic service to the town. He has been awarded numerous awards and citations during his career, including successfully resuscitating an infant on April 5, 1989 and a cardiac arrest victim on May 2, 1989.
“Jim plays an important role in the department as a leader, but also goes above and beyond to care for the men and women under his command and keep them a tight-knit group maintaining the traditions that are important to the department,” says Matt Marcarelli, fire chief and emergency management director for the EHFD.
Most recently, on May 1, the Exchange Club of Branford held a banquet to “Honor Our Shoreline Heroes” at Woodwinds of Branford, recognizing Oca as one of eight of the finest and bravest serving the towns of Branford, North Branford, Guilford, and East Haven.
“It was very nice to be included,” says Jim. “I don’t do things to look for attention, I’m not one that enjoys the accolades, I’d rather fly under the radar.”
Jim’s passion for his career reaches far beyond the East Haven firehouse as he is also an active instructor in the northeast, owning a company that provides First Aid, CPR, AED, and OSHA training to hundreds of individuals each year.
He is also active in several local organizations, having spent much of his free time volunteering at his church, his children’s schools, and through the Yellowjacket Club, which supports East Haven athletics.
For more than 10 years, Jim has been involved with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, an international non-profit that provides remembrance photography to families that have or will experience the loss of an infant. He started with the group as a volunteer photographer, served on the board, and is now completing a two-year term as the organization’s president. He is also a member of Porcini International, The Buon Amici Club, and the Umberto Club of New Haven.
“As a lifelong East Haven resident, I know we’ve got a great group of people that support each other and support us at the fire department,” says Jim. “You have to be able to give back, especially to your community. This community has given me a great career at the Fire Department and I want to give back a little bit.”