Our Team

James Wheeler’s passion for protecting and ensuring the safety of others began in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he worked as a Skydiving Instructor, Videographer, and Parachute gear packer/inspector for several years. James made over 3000 skydives during his skydiving career. He consistently ensured the safety of those who entrusted him with their lives through his ability to stay calm under pressure, a great attention to detail, and ensuring the use of quality gear.

It was his skydiving career that brought James to California, where he had the opportunity to build operations of a newer skydiving community, including assisting with advertising, sales, and daily operations. Due to the birth of his first child, James left skydiving and pursued a career on the ground as an EMT. As an EMT, James gained invaluable and hands-on experience in emergency response and refined his attention to quality assurance.

James continued to build his ability to lead by working in sales for several years before transitioning to SoCal PPE in 2021. James learned SoCal PPE from the ground up and knows every aspect of SoCal PPE operations. With a passion and understanding about the need to keep first responders safe, James has been instrumental in educating fire departments about the importance of NFPA 1851 standards. His expertise and commitment have helped the company grow and thrive in the industry.

James has been happily married to his wife, Mary, for 20 years. Together they have three children, and both balance their careers with a deep commitment to the family. In his free time, James is also an avid trail ultrarunner and pickleball player.