FFC Officers

Jim Cook, President

Chaplain Jim Cook retired from CDF/Cal Fire and the Riverside County Fire Department as a Battalion Chief after 36 years of service. He has been involved in the Volunteer Reserve Chaplain program in Riverside County since 1997 and has helped develop an effective chaplaincy for his department. Their chaplains have supported mutual aid needs for San Bernardino County, San Diego County, and statewide. Chaplain Cook has been a member of the Federation of Fire Chaplains since 2003 and is currently serving on the FFC Board as the President. He is a member of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and President of the California Fire Chaplain Association. He holds an A.A. degree in Biblical and Theological Studies and serves as a deacon at Fellowship Church in Beaumont, California.

Jim is married to Roxie, and they celebrated 47 years of marriage in 2020. Together, they have six children and six grandchildren. Roxie has been an integral supporter of Jim’s chaplain ministry and the FFC community.

John F. Long, Jr., Vice-President

John has served as a firefighter since 1975, beginning with United Fire Company of Montrose, Pennsylvania. After enlisting in the United States Coast Guard in 1978, he served until retirement in 1998. He is currently President of the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company in Glen Burnie, MD.

John began his chaplaincy in 2002, serving the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association, and was appointed Chief Chaplain of the Maryland State Firemen's Association in 2005, a role he still holds. He is also Chaplain One with Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

Ordained in 2004, John has served as a Deacon with Lake Shore Baptist Church. He and his wife Kathy have two sons and two grandchildren.

Mark Akers, Treasurer

Mark has 25 years of service with the Magnolia (Texas) Volunteer Fire Dept. and is currently a Senior Captain at Houston Fire Department, assigned to Ladder 4. He also serves as Battalion Chief and Chaplain for the Magnolia VFD and Chaplain for HFD’s Local 341.

He and his wife Sonia have two children, Caleb and Abigail. Mark has been a member of the FFC for 11 years and is a credentialed minister with the Assemblies of God.

Roosevelt Johns, Secretary

Roosevelt has served as a chaplain for 17 years and has been a member of the FFC since 2016. He is currently Chaplain for the Atlanta Fire Department and lives in Winder, Georgia with his wife Rachel. They are active in ministry and their local community.

Gordon Kouwenberg

Canadian Liaison to the Board and Director of Regions for Canada and International.

Keith Smith, Member-at-Large

Keith Smith has been a member of the FFC since 2004 and currently holds the Advanced Fire Chaplain Certificate and is an FFC Instructor. He has served with the Euless Fire Department since 1984 and holds certifications in Fire Instruction, Fire Inspection, and Paramedicine.

Keith has served as Fire Chaplain for Euless FD since 2004 and co-founded the Texas Corps of Fire Chaplains. He is also part of the Texas LODD Task Force – Texas LAST program. He and his wife serve at Countryside Bible Church in Southlake, Texas.