Roman Wagner proudly took on the duties of Centralia Police Department’s “Chief for a Day” with a swearing-in ceremony during the Centralia City Council meeting Monday night.
Wagner, a 6-year-old boy from Adna, donned a uniform identical to Chief Andy Caldwell’s as he was sworn in.
He received challenge coins and gifts from Caldwell, Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer, Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza, and Chehalis Police Chief Randy Kaut. After the ceremony, the Washington State Patrol also gave him a challenge coin.
Wagner, the son of Dr. Peter Wagner and Abbey Wagner, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2024. He was selected by Centralia officers to be the “Chief for a Day,” which honors the bravery, resilience and spirit of children living with chronic illnesses.
The Centralia Police Department is one of 18 agencies selected by the state to participate in the program in 2025. Earlier this year, Caldwell credited officer Franklyn Ramos with the city being involved with the “Chief for a Day” program as Ramos was a “Chief for a Day” at 10 years old.
Caldwell read a short biography of Wagner, who would like to be a zookeeper or a chef when he grows up. His favorite superhero is Iron Man because he has a port in his chest like Wagner does.
The first thing he would like to do as “Chief for a Day” is to drive to his brother’s school and tell them they’re under arrest. Caldwell then read Wagner’s oath of office.
“I, Roman Wagner, promise to be a good person with the help of my mom and dad. I will learn to play soccer and baseball to the best of my ability,” Caldwell read. “When I grow up, if I become a police officer, I will enforce the laws, arrest bad people, then have some donuts before going out and arresting some more bad people. With courage and kindness, I will follow my mom and dad’s guidance and do my best to protect the peace and safety of my community. Today, I proudly take on the duties of ‘Chief for a Day.’”
Meyer was the first to present a challenge coin to Wagner and thanked him for his bravery.
“If more people were as brave and as strong as you, we would have a much better world. Thank you very much for giving us all hope today,” Meyer said.
Snaza gave Wagner a challenge coin, a patch and a stuffed K9 dog.
“On behalf of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, we just want to thank you. Being the ‘Chief for a Day’ is a tough job, and I know you can do it,” Snaza said. “There’s a lot of donuts to be had here, so the challenge is yours. Thank you for your strength and your honor.”
Kaut joked to Wagner while giving him a challenge coin that “hopefully you can do a much better job than Andy here.”
