Napavine residents are encouraged to make their way downtown on Saturday to meet Lewis County Fire District 5’s new chief, Brent Adams.
A lifelong Washington state resident who has had careers in construction, fire and law enforcement, Adams left a lieutenant position at the Key Peninsula Fire Department in Pierce County last month to take on the role of fire chief in Napavine.
“Brent is looking forward to utilizing his 40 years of work experience in this new position and growing the department to meet the present needs and future challenges of the community while being fiscally responsible for the resources entrusted to us,” Lewis County Fire District 5 said in a Jan. 29 Facebook post announcing Adams’s arrival.
Born and raised in Yakima, Adams’s family relocated to the west side in 1980 after Mount St. Helens erupted, spending a few years living in their family summer cabin in Mason County before settling down in University Place.
Adams graduated from Curtis High School with the desire to work in law enforcement.
While working in retail grocery, he attended college and applied for many law enforcement positions. That goal was achieved when he started as a volunteer sheriff’s deputy for Mason County, according to Lewis County Fire District 5.
“At the time, the competition for a career position was overwhelming and he needed more to support his family, so Brent decided to go back to college,” Lewis County Fire District 5 stated.
Adams earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management from the University of Washington in 2002 and spent the next 16 years working in the construction industry. After he was laid off during an industry recession, Adams started his fire career.
He volunteered for the Key Peninsula Fire Department for two years before the department hired him as a career member in 2009. Adams spent the next 15 years learning the trade and ultimately decided to take steps toward the administrative side.
For the last three years, Adams has worked to complete a bachelor’s degree in fire service leadership and management through Pierce College. He has also taken several administrative National Fire Academy courses to prepare himself for his next chapters.
Adams is a father to two boys who “are outstanding members in their communities,” according to Lewis County Fire District 5.
Adams and his partner are currently “looking at moving into the area to be part of this community,” Lewis County Fire District 5 stated.
Adams will be at Lewis County Fire District 5 Station 5-1 at 105 Second Ave. NE in downtown Napavine at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, to meet with Napavine residents.
Adams is taking over the chief position from Interim Chief Gegg Peterson, who returned to the department after former Chief Dan Mahoney was terminated from the position in June of 2023.
Peterson had retired as District 5 chief in 2016. Mahoney was hired as chief in 2019 and served in the position for nearly four years.
