Lewis Picked as Fire Chief for Tacoma


The City of Tacoma, Washington, has named Eileen Lewis to the position of fire chief. Chief Lewis, who is a 19-year veteran of the department, took over the position on February 26, 2000, following the retirement of Chief Dick Moore.

In announcing Lewis' appointment, City Manager Ray Corpuz praised the competence of all who sought the position. "I had excellent internal candidates to consider. Chief Moore has done a great job of grooming and preparing his assistants for leadership... Eileen is the best person for the job."

In March of 1981, Lewis (then Eileen Hodges) became the first woman hired as a firefighter by the TFD. She was promoted to lieutenant in 1988, and to captain in 1993. Later that year, she was named assistant chief of administrative services, and was promoted to deputy chief in the same division in 1996. Three years later, in February of 1999, she asked for a transfer back into operations as a battalion chief, and tested for the position in order to do so.

"Fighting fires and being close to the personnel is where our work is really done," Lewis said in a departmental press release over her promotion. "Since I had been in administration for about six years, being a battalion chief has given me an opportunity to experience what goes on in the field... and see what issues our firefighters are facing on a day-to-day basis."

The Tacoma Fire Department has more than 430 firefighting personnel, of whom 35 are women. It becomes the second largest fire department (after Cobb County, Georgia) to be headed by a woman.

For more information: www.ci.tacoma.wa.us/prelease/