Philip Oakes
Philip Oakes joined Laramie County Fire District #2 in September of 1993, where he served as a volunteer. During his tenure, he was responsible for writing and administering the department’s first ever Assistance to Firefighters Grant and served in multiple roles from Administration Officer, Public Information Officer, Training Officer, and Supply Captain. After moving to a new town, he joined Laramie County Fire District #4, where he serves to this day.

In addition to volunteering, Oakes was an emergency services dispatcher for Laramie County, WY for three years and an EMT-B for American Medical Response. During his time with AMR, he conducted training for the agency and supplemented the administration and supervisory staff as needed.

Oakes joined the Wyoming State Fire Marshal’s Office in August of 2002. In the beginning. he operated as the state’s Fire Incident Report Coordinator and as a contract instructor for the state. Within two years, he was promoted to the position of Trainer/Fire Investigator, and then to the level of State Training Director. During his tenure as State Training Director, the agency has tripled its number of classes delivered, doubled the number of certification issued, obtained National Accreditation for those certification programs, as well as purchased and began operating their first and only State Fire Training Academy.

In addition to his time in emergency services, Oakes has done work as a reviewer/contributor for Delmar Cengage, IFSTA, Jones and Bartlett, and McGraw Hill and taught for Casper College’s Fire Science program, specializing in building construction for the fire service. Contact the Committee Chair for more information.

Devon Wells
Devon Wells is the Assistant Fire Chief of the Hood River Fire Department in Oregon. A 17 year veteran of the fire service, Devon began his career as a Volunteer Firefighter with the Odell Rural Fire Protection District. He worked his way through the ranks of that agency, serving as Lieutenant and Captain, as well as being the Training Officer for 8 years. He spent four years with the Corvallis Fire Department as a Resident Volunteer and Fire Prevention Specialist while earning his Bachelors of Science degree from Oregon State University. After college, Devon started as the Fire Marshal for the City of Hood River. He served in this position until he earned his Paramedic certification and progressed through the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain. He was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2005.

Wells is also a team leader, rescue technician, and Public Information Officer for the Crag Rat Mountain Rescue team, providing mountain and wilderness search and rescue on Mt. Hood and surrounding wilderness areas. Wells is a Division Supervisor/Structure Protection Specialist trainee on the Northwest Type 2 Incident Management Team for the USFS and a Wildland Task Force/Strike Team Leader for Hood River County.

Devon holds many professional certifications including NFPA Firefighter 2, Fire Officer 2, and Rope and Water Rescue Technician, and International Code Council Inspector 2. He has been awarded the Firefighter of the Year Award, Engineer of the Year Award, and Outstanding Leadership Award. Wells is currently a member of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors where he is one of two Western Regional Directors, the Oregon Fire Instructors Association, the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association, and the Mountain Rescue Association. Devon is a faculty member at the Columbia Gorge Community College where he teaches EMS courses. Devon is pursuing a second Bachelors Degree in Fire Service Administration from Eastern Oregon University. He is the coordinator of the Columbia Gorge Training Associations regional Firefighter 1 Academy. Contact the Committee Chair for more information.