In 1965 James Ellison was hired as firefighter with the Central Valley Fire Department. He quickly moved up the ranks from Firefighter, to Engineer, to Captain, and became the department's youngest Battalion Chief. Early in 2000, he accepted a position as Fire Chief for the San Miguel Community Services District, where he worked until his death. James was also a two time President of the California Fire Chiefs Association. In May of 2011 he was diagnosed with job-related kidney cancer and died in July 2011.