Mel Kinne's Bio

Melanie Kinne was born and raised in Germany. She attended a college prep highschool and then became a journeyman carpenter through a trades training program, intending to become an architect. She came to the US in 1995 to travel the country prior to attending college but fell in love with the natural beauty of the Northwest and its inhabitants (one in particular!). She worked in a variety of construction jobs before finding her niche as a custom cabinet and furniture maker.

In 1999 a friend who is a firefighter with Vancouver Fire mentioned that she would be well suited for firefighting. Melanie had not considered this as a career opportunity until then, assuming that it is not attainable for women. With the support of her friend she started investigating her options and enrolled in community college, volunteered at various emergency and medical nonprofits and prepared for the physical demands of a firefighting career.

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In 2001 Melanie was hired by Gresham Fire as an EMT Basic/ Firefighter. She became a Paramedic in 2003 and obtained numerous specialty certifications over the following years. In 2008 she accepted a job offer from Clackamas Fire District #1. Since then she has been involved in several programs and projects with the District and promoted to the rank of Captain.

Melanie’s passion lies in training and mentoring and she is currently assigned to the Training Division, with the majority of her work revolving around training new recruits and facilitating ongoing company training including live fire events. She is a member of the Districts recruitment and diversity committee and involved with several nonprofit recruitment programs.