First Female Fire Chief in Lewis County Takes Over at Boistfort

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On May 11, Gwen Turner became the first female fire chief in Lewis County.

“I didn’t think about it,” she said. “That wasn’t the goal. It was doing what I could for my fire district and my community.”

Turner said she enjoys serving the community while volunteering her time as chief of Lewis County Fire District 13 in the Boistfort Valley.

“It’s the community. It’s really a family,” she said. “The people I work with here are the people who are my friends. The people we help are our friends and family.”

Turner, 41, started volunteering with the district during the devastating floods of 2007.

“We saw a big upswing in the number of volunteers coming in after the flood,” she said.

During that time, many people’s lives were affected by the actions of volunteers in local fire districts.

“It spoke to a lot of people,” she said.

After the floodwaters subsided, Turner continued volunteering in the administration of the district, working to straighten out district records damaged during the flood.

Turner later helped set up firefighter training events and sat in on the training.

She said former Fire District 13 Chief Gregg Peterson, now chief of Fire District 5 in Napavine, encouraged her to participate in training and become a firefighter.

“I had book knowledge. It wasn’t very hard to transition,” she said. “I always liked learning new things.”

Turner was promoted to training officer, and the rank of captain, in 2012. She has also been the district’s safety officer for three years.

“She’s been active in the community and active in the fire department and has set up a lot of programs up there,” Peterson said. “She really raised the bar out there.”

Fire District 13 commission Chair Dave Finn said Turner’s “enthusiasm” made her a good choice for chief.

“She’s been very interested and involved in the department,” he said.

Fire District 13 has no paid positions. Even as chief, Turner volunteers all of her time spent at the district. Balancing volunteering and training with work, family and other aspects of life can sometimes be challenging, she said.

“It’s about knowing this is a good thing for the community,” she said. “My family supports me 100 percent.”

However, Turner said the whole district isn’t on her shoulders alone. She gave other volunteers credit for working with her to help run the district.

“It’s all just about teamwork,” she said.

Turner said she hopes to maintain the district’s high standards by keeping recruitment numbers up and maintaining service levels and district equipment.

She said she also plans to continue the district’s public education program.

Each October, the district works with the Boistfort School District to put on Fire Prevention Week educational programs.

The district also plans to work with the school to have a summer time child-safety event on May 28.

“This department has been providing public education … for 20 years at least,” she said.