Meet Firefighter Jim Gesser, a longtime member of our department who joined us in 1998. He has faithfully served the Island Heights Fire Company for 23 years. Jim decided to join the fire company because he was friends with a few of our members, mainly Andy Parks, and he used to hang around the firehouse a lot. He decided he got along really well with the other guys and wanted to join. He went through fire school and became a firefighter and the rest is history. Over the years he has held many positions with the department such as 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Lieutenant, Assistant Treasurer, and Assistant Financial Secretary which is a position he currently holds. He has also been the head of the Sailfest committee for the last 6 years where we have an annual booth selling sausage sandwiches. In 2013 Jim was given a Life Saving Award by the 200 Club for his heroic actions where he provided life saving medical assistance to a woman who had received numerous life threatening injuries at his place of work. Outside of the fire department Jim is a store manager for Bed Bath and Beyond, where he has worked for 16 years. He is happily married to his wife of 20 years Maria, and has a son Colby who is also a member of the fire department following in his dads footsteps. When Jim isn’t helping out at the firehouse he can be found snowboarding, fishing at the beach, and hanging out with family. Thank you Jim for all that you do for the fire company and your community!