When Jim Fuda started with the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) on October 24, 1973, he was just 21 years old and was the youngest deputy the agency had ever hired. It was a great choice, and Jim spent the next 33 years working at the agency in a variety of assignments.
For the first part of his career (1973 to 1991), Jim worked in the Patrol Division in the County’s S/W Precinct area, patrolling such areas as the “Airport Strip” during the Green River Killer era. Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, became the most prolific Serial Killer in the history of our nation.
In 1991, Jim was promoted and assigned to the Special Operations Division where he commanded many specialty assignments, including Hostage Negotiations, Honor Guard, Special Projects Planning & Security, Search & Rescue, Marine Unit, and the K9 Unit.
Hostage Negotiations
Jim was a member of the first-ever Hostage Negotiations for King County that was formed in 1982. In 1991, he was promoted and commanded the Team until his retirement in 2006. In Jim’s tenure, he responded to more than 300 hostage/barricade situations and is responsible for saving many lives.
From 1985 to 1993, Jim completed more than 500 hours of hostage negotiations training through a variety of schools and seminars, including the FBI Academy, New Scotland Yard/London Metropolitan Police, Valencia College, Baltimore County Police, and more.
In addition, Jim was responsible for team training and was a Regional Representative to the FBI in the Advanced Training Arena. He presented an actual case study at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., as well as at the annual Baltimore County Hostage Negotiations Seminar. Jim Fuda is widely considered an expert in the field and has taught globally on the topic.
Listen to audio footage of an actual hostage negotiation in 1987 in Riverton, Wash., as broadcasted on News Radio 920 KXLY.
Honor Guard
In October 1991, Jim and a handful of KCSO Deputies traveled to Washington, DC, to participate in the dedication of the National Law Enforcement Memorial at Judiciary Square. This experience inspired Jim to formally organize a KCSO Honor Guard with 20 dedicated positions. The Honor Guard performed and participated in an average of 40 events every year, including special events, parades, and memorials for fallen police officers.
In fact, during his tenure, Jim was part of a Washington State consortium that traveled anywhere in the State to organize Police Memorials. Even in retirement, because of his expertise, Jim has frequently asked to return to assist in these memorials. To date, Jim has aided in more than 35 “Killed in the Line of Duty” Memorials.
Special Projects Planning & Security
Jim was responsible for the planning and security of many special events that came to the Greater Seattle area, including:
- The 1990 Goodwill Games
- World Trade Organization (WTO) meetings that were held in Seattle on Nov/Dec 1999
- The Asian Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) meetings
- The 1991 US Governors Conference
- Many dignitary protection visits ranging from U.S. Presidents to Foreign Heads of State
Jim’s responsibilities for these major events were security planning and execution of the route and site, demonstration management, and dignitary protection. All responsibilities required coordination with many U.S. and foreign government entities to help ensure a safe environment for all attendees.
Because of his expertise in demonstration management, Jim was asked by the U.S. government to write a course for Indonesia, where he traveled and taught several iterations before passing future trainings off to other qualified trainers.
Watch Jim Fuda on The Oprah Winfrey Show episode about amazing survival stories.
Search & Rescue
Jim Fuda was responsible for operations of the largest Search & Rescue Organization in the State of Washington, managing more than 500 volunteers. The KCSO oversees the training and operational aspects of the following King County volunteer units:
- Explorer Search & Rescue
- 4×4 Search 7 Rescue
- Search Dogs
- Seattle Mountain Rescue
- Ski Patrol Rescue
- Northwest Horseback Search & Rescue
- Pacific Northwest Trackers
- King County Incident Support Team
Jim led a team of KCSO Deputy Coordinators that responded to call-outs whenever necessary. The Teams respond to an average of more than 140 missions every year, which also makes it the most active Search & Rescue group in the Northwest.
Marine Unit
Jim was responsible for the operation and training of the KCSO Marine Rescue Dive Unit (MRDU) from 2000 to 2006, in addition to his ancillary duties of Search & Rescue, the Hostage Negotiations Team, the Honor Guard, and Dignitary Protection.
The MRDU deploys specially trained and equipped deputies that are responsible for water-related law enforcement, investigations, rescue, and recovery work.
Operational areas include Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, and other lakes, ponds, and rivers throughout the unincorporated areas of King County, cities and towns that contract for service, and any other jurisdiction that requests specific assistance.
K9 Unit
In his tenure as the K9 Unit Sergeant from 1997 to 2000, Jim was responsible for the training and deployment of 10 K9 teams. Eight of the teams were German Shepard generalist dogs, one was a drug enforcement dog, and one was the first ever explosive detection dog for the KCSO.
Before he was K9 Unit Sergeant, in February 1991, Jim completed an overall assessment of the unit, including training, equipment, quarry, shift schedules, and customer service evaluations. The 9-page document, exclusive of 30 pages of supportive documentation, enabled the KCSO to provide better K9 service to the citizens of King County.