The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington)
Copyright 2006 The News Tribune
All Rights Reserved
Ron Stephens was sworn in as Tacoma fire chief Wednesday at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.
Stephens, who served as interim chief since last August, is the first black person to lead the department in its 126-year history. He has been with the Tacoma department since 1977.
Stephens got his first glimpse of firefighting when he was growing up in Port Huron, Mich. He delivered newspapers, and a local firehouse was on his route. The firefighters were friendly to him, and he got a close-up look at their trucks.
A firefighter later served as one of his earliest mentors, and when Stephens learned of openings in Tacoma’s department, he applied and got the job.
Stephens told The News Tribune in July that he’d like to redeploy Engine 15 from the Tideflats to a remodeled firehouse off McKinley Avenue to serve the city’s East Side and South End areas. He also wants to relocate Engine 6 to a more central spot on the Tideflats to better serve the industrial area and Northeast Tacoma.