Pasco names 5 finalists for next fire chief, these 3 are from the Tri-Cities

Tri-City Herald staff
·2 min read

The City of Pasco announced Friday the five finalists for the soon-to-be vacant fire chief position.

The list includes three local leaders in firefighting: Kevin Crowley, Todd Roper and Nickolus Thomas.

Pasco Fire Chief Bob Gear is retiring May 31, capping off a career that spanned nearly 50 years and brought him to the doorstep of some of the Mid-Columbia’s most devastating fires.

The chief position oversees 103 city employees and firefighters across five fire stations, a training center and other facilities.

The five candidates were identified through a comprehensive national search conducted by the Western Fire Chiefs Association, according to a news release from the city. The city will make its final candidate selection in early June.

“All five candidates bring a wealth of fire service experience, and I look forward to discussions with each of them along with our interview panels,” said City Manager Adam Lincoln in a prepared statement.

  • Kevin Crowley is the current deputy fire chief with the Kennewick Fire Department. He’s been with the department for nearly 25 years, and held captain and battalion chief positions throughout that time. His department includes 91 firefighters and five fire stations.

  • Todd Roper is the current chief of Hanford Fire Protection and Emergency Services at the Hanford Mission Integration Solutions. Before coming to the Tri-Cities, Roper served as fire chief for the Abqaiq Fire Protection Unit in Saudi Arabia, where he led 250. He holds a master’s degree in public administration.

  • Nickolus Thomas is the current deputy fire chief and director of fire operations at Hanford Fire Protection. He has more than 30 years of fire experience, 11 of those at Hanford, and has held top fire posts at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Sallport Global.

  • Jason Nicholl is the incumbent fire chief at North Lyon County Fire Protection District in Fernley, Nev. He’s a ninth-generation firefighter, per the Reno Gazette-Journal, with more than 20 years experience and a master’s degree in fire and emergency management administration from Oklahoma State University.

  • Scott Goodwin is the current CEO and president of ComTac Training in Las Vegas. He is a retired fire chief with more than 30 years experience in the American Southeast.