Born and raised in Mossyrock, Morgan Browning still lives in the East Lewis County community famous for its blueberries. She is currently pursuing a firefighting career while volunteering for Lewis County Fire District 3.
On Tuesday, March 12, Browning was honored in the fire district’s fire station in Mossyrock after she won the National Grange 2023 Firefighter/EMT of the Year Award. Nine members of the Mossyrock Grange, along with Browning’s fellow firefighters, were in attendance to see her receive the award.
“This is quite the accomplishment. I was privileged enough to get this award a couple of years ago,” Lewis County Fire District 3 Fire Chief Doug Fosburg said.
Fosberg won the award in 2021.
Mossyrock Grange President Darell Myers said they originally nominated Browning for a different award.
The Mossyrock Grange first nominated her for the Washington State Grange Community Service Volunteer Award.
The state grange then submitted the same nomination they received to the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry for its Firefighter/EMT of the Year Award.
“So that’s two people from this fire department now that have won this award from the National Grange,” Myers said.
Honored to receive the award, Browning said watching the announcement ceremony was somewhat nerve-racking.
“We were watching it live on Facebook, and the second right before they announced it, the audio cut out,” Browning said.
Though only 22, Browning already has six years of experience in firefighting. She started as a cadet for Lewis County Fire District 3 in 2017, according to the Mossyrock Grange’s nomination form.
She became a volunteer firefighter for District 3 as soon as she turned 18 in 2019. She became an EMT in 2022. Just last month, she received her advanced EMT certificate from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.
Additionally, Browning graduated from North Seattle College in June 2023 with an associate degree in fire services.
Aside from her work as a firefighter, Browning volunteers for community events the fire district helps out with, including Mossyrock’s Easter egg hunt, the Halloween trick-or-treat event, the Blueberry Festival parade and giving Santa a ride in a firetruck to the town’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Along with other volunteer firefighters, Browning has worked with Mossyrock Elementary School to bring the ambulance and firetruck to do demonstrations for students.
She has also recently obtained her pyrotechnics license to help with fireworks displays the City of Mossyrock puts on for various events — as long as no fire restrictions are in place.
“Morgan is a volunteer that can be relied on to get things done, not only on calls, but at the station,” the Mossyrock Grange wrote on the nomination form. “She will respond 24/7 to calls in our district and other districts as well if she is available.”
Browning is planning to attend paramedic school this fall and hopes to return to continue her firefighting career in Mossyrock after graduating.
Founded in 1867, the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry is a nationwide nonprofit that helps members with four levels, including national, state, county or district and community.
While granges focus on helping develop and promote farming and agriculture, they also provide grange members opportunities to become more involved in their communities through community service, grassroots legislative programs and education programs.
To learn more about the National Grange, visit https://www.nationalgrange.org/.
The Mossyrock Grange is located at 152 Isbell Road in Mossyrock. For more information, including upcoming events the Mossyrock Grange is hosting, visit its Facebook page at https://bit.ly/3vmBba6.
The Lewis County Fire District 3 fire station is located at 238 Mossyrock Road E. in Mossyrock. To learn more about the fire district, visit https://mossyrockfire.com/.
