Olympia Fire Department welcomes new Fire Chief

Olympia City Manager Jay Burney has named Matt Morris the city’s new Chief of its Fire Department.

“Matt is the chief we need and a great fit for the Olympia Fire Department and the City of Olympia,” Burney said. “He brings broad fire service experience, having served in positions as varied as paramedic to fire chief, and he has the strong background in strategic planning we need to position the Olympia Fire Department to serve the community into the future.”

Chief Morris started his 33-year fire service career as a reserve firefighter/EMT in 1990, serving the City of Boulder City, Nevada.

Morris then became a firefighter/paramedic in the City of Henderson, Nevada, where he spent 22 years rising through the ranks – from firefighter to battalion chief to deputy chief – before his eventual promotion to fire chief.

For the last six years, Morris has held the fire chief position for the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, headquartered in Kent, Washington.

Before his fire service career, he served in the Navy and was assigned to Air Squadron VA-176 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, and participated in three deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean.

Morris is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer program and holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Business Administration, in addition to his membership in the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Chief Morris is engaged to be married, has two adult children, and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest.

“I would like to thank City Manager Burney for his confidence and for allowing me this incredible opportunity to be part of such an amazing city and fire department,” the new fire chief stated. "The Olympia Fire Department has a strong legacy of being caring leaders in the community and beyond. I am humbled to have the honor to join the Olympia Fire Department to work together to help build a vibrant and safe community."

He will take charge of the 105-person Olympia Fire Department, which serves a 25-square-mile service area and has four fire stations, two medic units, and a battalion unit.

Olympia's Fire Department, founded in 1865, was the first fire department in the state.

Morris starts work at his new job on November 6.