James "Jimmy" Forrester began his career in 1978 as a Paid Call Firefighter for Fire Station 29 in Dana Point. He was hired full-time in January of 1982 and became part of the Orange County Fire Department Academy 3. His first assignment was Fire Station 4, where he spent many years working on the hazmat unit and helping build the program throughout the 90s. He was promoted to Engineer in 2002 and later transferred to Fire Station 29, where he retired in 2013.