There’s a new Fire Chief ready to keep the rural areas of Nez Perce County safe. Patrick Showers took the office last Monday and says he has big plans for the department, but still acknowledges building up a trained volunteer fire crew, adding new equipment, and getting paperwork in order doesn’t happen overnight. Even before he was officially Chief, he started recruiting, and has added 10 volunteers to help out. He plans to add more over time.
Right now his big goal is to get through the 4th of July. He has been in touch with all of the other departments in the county and is working out a plan of where best to put his people and resources to be able to quickly respond to blazes when people lose control of their fireworks.
His story is a long one of fire service. He started with the Forest Service in Orofino in 1980 and has worked in Montana, Kootenai County, served time in the U.S. military, and in the Lewiston Rural Fire Department when it existed.
Showers has been with Nez Perce County Fire since 2005. He replaces Chief Jason McCarthy who requested Showers take the position of Chief so he could focus more on his full-time job. McCarthy will stay on as a Captain.
