Lewis County Fire District 6’s new chief, Paul Patterson, has a long resume of firefighting experience, ranging from battling residential and commercial fires in Detroit, Michigan, to fighting wildfires in Long County, Georgia.
“He’s definitely a hose-puller. He knows how to fight fire,” Fire Commission Chair Colin Mason said of Patterson during a swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 26. “He’s here and ready to lead our district and take us to new heights and advance us into the future, and we look forward to that.”
Patterson was hired to fill the chief position vacated by former-chief Ken Cardinale, who retired earlier this year after a combined eight years as fire chief for the City of Chehalis and Lewis County Fire District 6.
Patterson, who was born and raised in Detroit, started his fire service career in 1992 as a Detroit firefighter. He retired from that department in 2017 and moved to Georgia, returning to the fire service as a member of the Long County Fire Department, where he was ultimately appointed deputy chief.
“Realizing that I had so much more to give to the fire service and wanting to inspire another department, I find myself at Lewis County Fire District 6,” Patterson said in a written statement. “It is my pleasure to serve as your chief and look forward to helping the department further care for our dear citizens.”
Patterson holds an associate’s degree in business administration and is finishing a bachelor’s degree in fire administration. He is also a certified fire inspector and fire instructor.
“I look forward to learning and growing with this department and am hopeful that I can inspire this county to continued greatness,” Patterson said.
After Mason finished giving a summary of Patterson’s experience to the crowd gathered for Patterson’s swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Patterson joked, “That’s a cool guy. I like him.”
Lewis County Fire District 6 serves the communities of Adna and rural Chehalis. For more information on the district, visit https://lcfd6.org/.
