Rob has been involved in the fire service in Thurston County for over 22 years. He began his service in 2003 as a volunteer with the former Fire District #11, Littlerock Fire Rescue, and in 2008, he was hired as a career Firefighter/EMT with West Thurston Regional Fire Authority (RFA). Rob’s passion for education and training created continued opportunities for advancement, and in 2016, he was promoted to Fire Training Captain, assuming responsibility for training both career and volunteer staff. He also served as Vice Chair of the Thurston County Training Officers for several years, leading numerous county-wide training events during that time.

In 2020, Rob was promoted to Assistant Chief of Operations and Training, and in January 2022, he was elevated to Acting Fire Chief of West Thurston RFA before officially stepping into the role of Fire Chief. In July 2024, Rob joined Griffin Fire Department as the Assistant Chief of Operations and Training.

Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts from Washington State University and several certifications in Fire Sciences. He completed the King County Officer Development Academy in 2016 and holds numerous certifications from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), including Fire Officer 4. He has also completed several National Fire Academy courses and is a certified Blue Card Incident Command Instructor, IFSAC evaluator, and past Vice President of Southwest FOOLS International. In 2022, he was awarded the Chief Fire Officer Credential from the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

Outside of work, Rob volunteers as a live fire instructor at the Washington State Firefighters Association Annual Fire School in Wenatchee. He has been married to his wife, Michele, for 29 years and is the proud father of two sons, ages 17 and 21. In his free time, Rob enjoys spending time with his family in the mountains or at the beach, cheering on his favorite football and baseball teams, hiking, golfing, sharing the occasional shark diving experience with his youngest son as a certified Open Water Diver, and traveling to baseball tournaments.