Tim Birr

Tim Birr began his fire service career in 1975 as a career firefighter-EMT with the Eugene (OR) Fire Department and spent more than nine years there as a line firefighter, lieutenant, and captain. On a part-time basis, he began serving as the department's first public information officer in 1979 and went on to server nearly a year as acting public information director for the City of Eugene. Ultimately he served for a decade as the primary spokesman and media liason for police, fire, EMS, 911, and emergency management. In 1995, Birr joined Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, Oregon's largest fire district, where he holds the rank of division chief and manages media, community, and inter-governmental relations. In addition to his primary work, he has served as vice president of IAFF Local 851, a media consultant for the U.S. Fire Administration, and state editor of the Oregon Professional Fire Fighter magazine. A former regional director of the National Information Officers Association, Birr has instructed and lectured extensively on the topic of media relations to fire service and other emergency responders.