Deputy Fire Chief & Chair of IAFC Wildland Fire Policy Committee
Kittitas Valley (WA) Fire Rescue
Rich Elliott lives in central Washington with his wife of 32 years. His son who just returned from a deployment in the Middle East, daughter in law, and new grandson live next door. His daughter has finished her pre-med degree and is working a year in healthcare getting ready for school. Rich began his fire service career in the Seattle area where he worked in urban areas for 10 years before moving to Ellensburg, which is 100 miles east of Seattle and officially, the “dry” side of the state. His education includes a BS in Political Science with an emphasis in labor studies and an MS in Organizational Development. Rich currently works for Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue as the Deputy Chief of Operations and Training and serves on the IAFC’s Wildland Policy Committee. He is active in the community focusing on improving behavioral and mental health resources in the community, serving on the Board of Health, City Council including 4 years as mayor, and Court Appointed Special Advocates. Focus at work includes managing a fire-based ALS ambulance service, mental and behavioral health for FF’s, community risk identification, reduction and mitigation, and is active with Incident Management teams in the Pacific Northwest.
COLS-202: Wildland Urban Interface: Are You Ready to Manage the Reality?
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM