Quigg serves four decades

By Tim Quigg

Special to the Dayton Chronicle

DAYTON–Civil Deputy Tim Quigg of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) reached a major milestone of serving Columbia County 40 years on November 21, 2020. This is a milestone few in the law enforcement field achieve, and it speaks well of Quigg to have faithfully served our community for so long. And he has no plans to retire any time soon.

"It's been a long, enjoyable road serving this community" Quigg said. "Forty years ago, I took an oath to protect and to serve; an oath I take very seriously. I hope I have upheld this oath and the standards of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office during my career to the best of my ability.

"I have a great many stories," he reminisced. "It has often been a strange and unusual journey, but one I wouldn't trade."

Quigg began his long law enforcement career back in March of 1980. After attending Washington State University, where he majored in Journalism and minored in English, he had aspirations of becoming either a writer or a teacher.

He worked as a clerk at Freddie's Food Market in Dayton while putting out resumes for employment in his desired field of work, when he was contacted by long-time family friend Sergeant George Mitchell of the Dayton Police Department. The CCSO was looking for Reserve Deputies and Dispatchers. Mitchell asked if Quigg would be interested in one of these positions. It sounded like fun, so he applied.

To qualify, Quigg took the written Civil Service test and oral interviews making the top three on the list. He was later interviewed at the CCSO by Sheriff Ed Britton and deputies Mark Laughery and Rod Flint on November 21, 1980. Quigg got the job and the rest is 40 years of local law enforcement history.

His service extended to Clerk/Dispatcher and later as Senior Communications Officer in the 9-1-1 center for 28 years, from 1981 to 2009. At the same time, he also served as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff, so he was provided the rare opportunity of being able to work both sides of the microphone.

As an honors graduate from the 1992-93 Washington State Reserve Officers Law Enforcement Academy, he received his commission for state-wide arrest authority. Quigg was also a state-certified law enforcement firearms instructor from 1998 to 2005, instructing local law enforcement officers, as well as an instructor in three regional Reserve Academies. He currently serves as the department Armorer, ensuring all department-issued side arms are in good working order. From 2010 to 2013 Quigg served in the capacity of Columbia County Communications Center Supervisor.

In 2013, Quigg transferred from the Communications Center, (by then under Columbia County Emergency Management), back over to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office to the position of Civil Deputy, where he has served in that capacity for nearly eight years.

As the coordinator of our popular National Night Out, he has enjoyed working with over 35 different organizations each year to create the event that nearly 1,000 people enjoy in the Dayton City Park every August Since 2008, He also acts as the coordinator for our popular Citizen's Academy classes.

During his career, Quigg has had the opportunity to serve under seven Sheriffs of Columbia County; Ed Britton, Rod Flint, Jim LaTour, Mike Berglund, Walt Hessler, Rocky Miller and currently Joe Helm. He also has worked with three Chiefs of Police, including Chet Powers, Bill Braun and Larry Groom.

As one would expect, Quigg has received numerous awards and commendations during his long career, from his own department as well as others throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the Distinguished Service Medal from the National Association of Chiefs of Police, after having been wounded in the line of duty.

Mentoring is another priority in Quigg' s life, that he schedules time to work with youth in the area, specifically in his long-held passion of model rocketry, forming the Blue Mountain Rocketeers youth model rocketry club in 1995 with then State Park Ranger Gary Lentz. Initially working with at-risk youth, the club has grown over the past 25 years to over 80 members who come from all walks of life from all over Washington, Oregon, Idaho and beyond.

Quigg did realize his initial dream of being a writer and a teacher. Having taught in three academies, from 2000 to 2007 he was also the Associate Editor of Extreme Rocketry Magazine, and currently has a regular column in the Sport Rocketry Magazine. He has also written a book on the subject of model rocketry that is currently in print. Additionally, he also is the author of several published compilations of original poetry.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office extends its appreciation to Civil Deputy Tim Quigg for his 40 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Columbia County, and looks forward to his continued service with the law enforcement family.