Civil Deputy Tim Quigg retires

DAYTON–The traditional celebratory signing off was broadcast over Columbia County Dispatch's frequency announcing Chief Civil Deputy Tim Quigg final day of work on August 7, 2024. He served the citizens of Columbia County for 43 years under seven different Sheriffs.

Quigg began his law enforcement career on November 21, 1981, as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff under Sheriff Ed Britton. He was selected as a Clerk/Dispatcher for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office on March 23, 1982. This provided Quigg with the unique opportunity to serve on both sides of the radio as an officer on the street, and a dispatcher in the communications center.

He was wounded in the line of duty in June, 1982, when he was stabbed while backing up a Dayton Police Department officer breaking up a bar fight. Quigg drove himself to the hospital, was stitched up and was back at work the following day. A copy of the report was submitted to the National Association of Chiefs of Police, who in turn awarded Quigg with their Distinguished Service Medal.

In 1991, a new state regulation required all commissioned special deputies and officers to successfully complete a law enforcement academy to have state-wide arrest authority. Quigg graduated from the Criminal Justice Training Commission Reserve Law Enforcement Officer's Academy on January 2, 1992 first in his class academically, first in firearms training and first in defensive tactics. Quigg resigned from this position as a Reserve Deputy in 2006 after 25 years of dedicated service to Columbia County.

He continued his career as a Clerk/Dispatcher, and later as a Communications Officer, Senior Communications Officer. He served for three years as the Communications Center Supervisor where he was able to apply his Washington State University studies of journalism and English.

He graduated from the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch with National and International Basic and Advanced EMD certifications. Quigg resigned from the Columbia County 911 Communications Center in July, 2013, after serving 31 years as an Emergency Services Dispatcher to accept another position.

That same month, Quigg was selected to fill the Civil Deputy position with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office which was being vacated by the retirement of then-Civil Deputy Carole Sleeman. Quigg was promoted to his current position as Chief Civil Deputy in May, 2022.

Quigg also held positions within the Columbia County Sheriff's Office as a State-certified law enforcement firearms instructor, Department Armorer, participated as an instructor in three CJTC sponsored Reserve Law Enforcement Officer Academies, was the coordinator of the community National Night Out for 15 years, and the coordinator of the Sheriff's Office Citizen's Academy for 16 years. He has received 21 written commendations from various local, county, regional and state law enforcement agencies throughout his career.

In his spare time, Quigg was the adult advisor of the Blue Mountain Rocketeers youth model rocketry club from 1995 to 2021, and is the author of a book about model rocketry. He was the Associate editor of Extreme Rocketry Magazine for seven years, and currently pens a regular article for Sport Rocketry Magazine. Additionally, Quigg has three published compilations of original poetry to his credit. He was a storm chaser with the Glenda Project, and is currently on the Board of Directors of Pullman Geosciences Research Foundation.

The public is invited to a retirement celebration for Quigg in the Tucannon River Room of the Best Western Inn and Suites located at 507 East Main Street in Dayton, Wash., on Saturday, August 31 from 1- 4 p.m.

-Submitted by Tim Quigg