FORNEY, Texas — The Forney community is mourning the loss of Jamie Barkham — a long-time volunteer firefighter and Forney Volunteer Fire Department assistant chief.
FORNEY, Texas — The Forney community is mourning the loss of Jamie Barkham — a long-time volunteer firefighter and Forney Volunteer Fire Department assistant chief.
Barkham joined the department in January 1987 and served for nearly 30 years with a majority of that time in various officer and leadership positions and most recently as the volunteer fire department’s assistant chief— the department’s highest position.
“Jamie’s 30 years of serving this community speaks to his love, dedication, and concern for the citizens of Forney, this community, and the State of Texas,” Forney Fire Department Chief Rick Townsend told inForney.com.
Barkham’s fire service legacy will continue through his son’s Brent and Jacob, who serve DFW-area fire departments, as well as his daughter-in-law, Kaci, who is with the Forney Fire Department.
Throughout his many years of service, Barkham had received several awards — most recently receiving the Life Saving Award earlier this year, a CareFlite recognition letter for an extended extrication incident in 2015, and a certificate of excellence in 2013 from then-Senator Bob Duell for standing vigil for the firefighters killed in an explosion in West, Texas.
“I have a lot of respect for Brent, his father, and brother,” Desoto Fire Department Chief Jerry Duffield told inForney.com after Brent was award the Medal of Valor for his life-saving actions in 2013. “The thing I love about volunteers, their heart is always right and it's such a good thing to have.”
Barkham had achieved his EMT certification from the Texas Department of State Health Services and received other certifications and training from the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) —which certifies thousands of firefighters all over the world each year— the Texas Forest Service, FEMA, and the State Fire Fighters and Fire Marshals Association, among other organizations.
Visitation and funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church Forney at 1003 College Street. Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 1, 2016, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and funeral services will be Friday, December 2, 2016, at 10 a.m.
