Napavine is again without a fire chief.
During a special meeting on Oct. 9, Jonathan Beck, the now former chief of Lewis County Fire District 5 in Napavine, received word that the District 5 Board of Commissioners had terminated his contract “without cause.”
Beck’s termination comes after a series of executive sessions that, according to the board’s meeting agendas, were scheduled to determine the performance of a public employee.
Beck learned of two of the meetings — held on Oct. 3 and Oct. 5 — from his crew on Oct. 6. According to Beck, both meetings were scheduled and held while he was out of town.
He attended a performance evaluation on Oct. 7 and was officially let go Oct. 9.
The Oct. 9 meeting agenda specifically mentions the “chief’s 90-day review which may lead to (a) final action taken.” The executive sessions were closed to the public.
Over the last month, the board has scheduled executive sessions on Oct. 9, Oct. 7, Oct. 5, Oct. 3 and Sept. 19, according to the District 5 website.
As of presstime, no public mention of the termination has been made, either on the agency’s Facebook page or its website, though the website lists its fire chief as “TBD.”
“The Fire Chief, appointed by the Board, manages daily operations and implements the Board’s vision,” the website states. “Key priorities include leveraging community support, completing the new apparatus bay, and evaluating administrative workload.”
According to Beck, he wasn’t invited to any executive sessions prior to his performance evaluation, which he said was “unheard of” for someone in his position — especially when a fire chief is expected to operate as the chief executive officer for the district.
Beck was appointed by the board June 23, and took over from Interim Fire Chief Gregg Peterson July 1. He succeeded chiefs Brent Adams and Dan Mahoney, who saw their respective contracts terminated in April 2024 and June 2023.
Beck previously served 35 years with various fire departments across the state, including as a volunteer firefighter with Lewis County Fire District 12 — now known as the Riverside Fire Authority — and Lewis County Fire District 14 in Randle.
Beck told The Chronicle Wednesday that he had planned to retire in the Napavine area and relocated to be closer to his father.
He mentioned longtime friends and work associates such as Commissioner Kenneth Lindh of Fire District 14 and Assistant Chief Erik Olson of the Riverside Fire Authority.
The former chief said the firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) at Napavine were some of the hardest working and most dedicated he had seen in his career, despite being paid less than other firefighters along the I-5 corridor — which he said contributes to a high turnover rate.
He added that he would recommend them to anyone.
Before joining Fire District 5, Beck served as deputy chief for the South Whidbey Fire Department for 19 years. He retired from his position in November 2023.
In a June news release announcing Beck’s hiring, Chief Peterson noted that Beck “took his original EMT course in Napavine some 25 years ago.”
Peterson retired as chief of Fire District 5 in 2016 before holding multiple stints as interim chief.
The decision to terminate Beck’s contract without cause echoes the previous decision to do the same for Mahoney, who had served as chief from 2019 to 2023.
Adams’ termination also came with no explanation. His post lasted three months.
Beck said he has heard from Adams in the days since his termination, along with other local officials. He hopes that the interlocal agreement (ILA) with Lewis County Fire Districts 5 and 6 and the Chehalis Fire Department still goes through, saying that the “potential growth opportunity and combined services to citizens would be outstanding.”
Beck added that he was looking forward to working with District 6 Chief Jerry Cole and Chehalis Fire Chief Adam Fulbright as they worked toward a consolidation, but noted what he believed was resistance from the District 5 Board of Commissioners.
“The writing was on the wall,” Beck said, regarding the board’s termination of his contract, adding that Chairman Sam Patrick hadn’t spoken to him in the month leading up to the decision.
“I feel the worst for the crews,” Beck said.
The Chronicle has reached out to the Lewis County Fire District 5 Board of Commissioners for comment and will update the article as needed.
