Profile: First Responder Jon Sheaffer

InMaricopa introduces you to the men and women who keep you safe.

Jon Sheaffer
Firefighter, Paramedic, Public Information Officer, Hazardous Materials Technician
Maricopa Fire Department

Born: Chicago, Illinois

Resides: Phoenix

Family: Wife Crystal and kids Cayd, 5; Lucy, 3; and Zola, 8 months

Education: Mesa Mountain View High School, Western New Mexico University (B.S. in Business Operations/Management)

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with my young family, coaching and watching football, and home improvement projects.

On the job: 3 years, all with MFD

Favorite part of the job: Helping people by bringing an element of calm to potentially chaotic situations. Also, the family feel and comradery of working with the other members of my crew and the department.

Least favorite: Having to deliver heartbreaking news to family and/or loved ones when someone close to them has a poor prognosis or has passed away.

Scariest moment: Our crew was responding to an incident on SR 238 just west of the city. After one of the other MFD units cleared the intersection at Smith-Enke and John Wayne Parkway we began to proceed through the intersection as well. As we made our way through, a distracted southbound-travelling motorist in the right-turn lane completely disregarded the red light she had, the lights, sirens and 40-foot fire truck in the middle of the road and came within five feet of slamming in to the front passenger (captain’s) door of our truck. Citizens and Firefighters alike are killed in motor vehicle collisions every day. With all the training we undergo from emergency medical calls to fire behavior and all hazards incidents we can never predict what other drivers will do at any given moment, especially with the recent increase in distracted driving-related incidents. That part of the job is a bit unnerving.