Alex grew up in Upper Olalla with no phone or elecricity and attended the one room school through the 4th grade. Later in his young life, the Tenmile DFPA fire warden encouraged him to contact DFPA at Hinkle Creek which resulted in him working there for three summers with mostly Missouri forestry students, he worked in the tool room sharpening tools and power saws. He then became a power saw operator and drove the water tanker.

In 1958 her worked for the OTI Fire Department in Klamath Falls. He was a member of the first Boy Scout troop in the area resulting in four Eagle Scouts. Forty years later he returned to Upper Olalla.

He was asked by former Chief Ted Benedict to fill a vacancy on the fire board, and has served on the board ever since.