Joe Wampler was 38 when he decided that the Hood River County’s Sheriff’s Office needed to be restructured — and he was the man for the job.

Sixteen years later, Wampler is asking voters to give him a fifth four-year term as an elected official. He wants to keep building upon the achievements that have already been made during his watch.

“I enjoy what I do and will continue in this role for as long as the people let me,” said Wampler.

His original campaign platform was to upgrade the services provided by the sheriff’s office. Wampler, then Hood River’s police captain, believed the local law enforcement agency needed to prepare for the influx of outdoor enthusiasts that had discovered the Columbia River Gorge.

The third-generation member of a Rockford farm family, Wampler had spent his childhood exploring Mount Hood. His late father, Joe Wampler Sr., an Alpinee, had taught him that danger lurked in the shadow of adventure on the rugged slopes. He had also worked in marine patrol as a teen and knew that mixing windsurfing with commercial boat traffic brought another set of safety challenges.

Wampler contended the sheriff’s office needed to upgrade virtually every piece of equipment. For example, he said there were three patrol cars available for 17 deputies to share. He also felt that morale among the deputies was low; something that could be overcome with a change of leadership and more technical support.

“I was very rural-oriented so I had always wanted to be part of the sheriff’s office — but it was scary to run against an incumbent,” said Wampler.

With his wife, Charmaine’s backing, and that of his three young daughters, Wampler hit the campaign trail. He ousted Sheriff Dick Kelly by an almost 2-1 margin when all of the votes in 1992 had been tallied.

“I think growing up here and knowing the people was a huge help to me,” said Wampler.

He soon discovered that the mechanic skills imparted by his father proved useful. Over the next decade, Wampler purchased three surplus planes for $5,000 that would have cost him $300,000 when new. He replaced parts on two Piper Cubs and a Cessna so they would meet safety requirements — and still keeps them in pristine condition.

Along the way, Wampler added two four-wheelers, three snowmobiles, three boats and a snow cat to the inventory, all used but in good condition. With his office now conducting 100 ground searches a year, and responding to 200 water emergency calls, Wampler said this equipment has, literally, saved lives.

“We’re the little guy so we can’t afford new stuff but we also don’t get junk,” he said.

In late November of 2006, Wampler drove the SnoCat to the rescue of a family that had become stranded near Lolo Pass while searching for the perfect Christmas tree.

Less than two weeks later, he utilized every piece of equipment at his disposal in the high-profile search for three missing climbers. Although the body of Texan Kelly James, 48, was recovered from a snow cave near the summit of Mount Hood, the bodies of Jerry Cooke, 36, of New York, and Brian Hall, 37, also of Texas, have never been found.

Wampler declines to hire a deputy with no interest in an outdoor pursuit, whether hunting and fishing or hiking and camping.

“Anyone who doesn’t like the outdoors has no business being in the sheriff’s office,” he said.

He is proud that every deputy now has a patrol car or pickup that is outfitted with the latest high-tech gadgets for quick response to any crisis.

“My philosophy has been to provide everyone with all of the tools that can help them do a better job and do more,” said Wampler.

Although the population of the county has climbed in the last 16 years, Wampler has added only one deputy to the lineup — preferring to fill any gap in service himself. He feels that it reflects well on the morale in his office that there is rarely a turnover among the staff.

Wampler is also responsible to oversee the emergency dispatch center, and its 13 employees, that was set up by a special tax levy during his tenure. He serves on the sheriff’s advisory board of the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities, the jail shared by four counties. Wampler said when the doors of NORCOR opened in 1999 the county was able to close the substandard jail that had previously been used in the courthouse.

His goal with a $2.3 million annual budget has been to fortify the office for a time when finances might take a downturn. If the federal government cuts off its compensation for lost timber harvest in the national forest, he loses $50,000 to $150,000 for search and rescue needs.

“It’s going to be tough on us to lose that money since 100 percent of our searches take place on public lands, which make 70 percent of the county’s land base,” said Wampler.

“But we have money put away to maintain our equipment and should be able to keeps our search and rescue program going as-is for another 10 years.”

Wampler admits that, “I haven’t been the administrator that I should have been.” He said it has been difficult for him to spend much time in the office.

“Sitting behind a desk has not my forte,” he said. “But, on the other hand, I’ve seen too many administrators quit going out on the streets and interacting with the people.”

He remains disappointed that his office has been unable to solve the murder of Eric Tamiyasu, 41, in 2001. Wampler said in that case, and others, people have taken out their frustrations on his family instead of him and that has been difficult for all of them to handle.

“I am very thankful for the support that Charmaine and the girls have given me because this is not a 9-5 job,” he said.

His next goal is to cross-train all of his deputies for specialty investigations, such as child abuse cases, in preparation for an expected five or six retirements within the next few years.