Lacey’s Fire Chief announces plans to retire at year’s end. Here’s who will replace him
Longtime Lacey Fire District 3 Chief Steve Brooks will retire at year’s end and be replaced by the department’s deputy chief of operations Jennifer Schmidt, the fire district announced.
Schmidt becoming a fire chief would place her among four other women fire chiefs in the state.
Schmidt has been in her current position for five years, according to the fire district, and she has managed 150 career first responders that average more than 17,000 calls per year.
She also oversees the department’s training division, and the design and implementation of an in-house accredited fire academy.
Brooks’ career in fire and EMS spans almost 34 years. His next role will be as executive director of the Washington State Fire Chiefs Association.
Before moving to Washington, he served for 14 years in his home state of Tennessee including 11 years with the city of Oak Ridge Fire Department and two years as a flight paramedic with the AirEvac Lifeteam.
Brooks also served as an adjunct faculty member in the EMS program at Roane State Community College. He moved to Washington and began his tenure at Lacey Fire in 2005, first serving as the Medical Services Division Chief, before being promoted to fire chief in 2011.
Schmidt started her career at South Kitsap Fire District and served there for 20 years. Her areas of focus were union leadership and firefighter mental health, in addition to holding the rank of shift captain.
This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 10:29 AM.
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