Tacoma-Pierce County Chaplaincy

The Tacoma Fire Department depends on the Tacoma-Pierce County Chaplaincy during times of emotional stress at the scene of fires as well as other Fire Department responses. 

Chaplain Wilby Casey began his service with the Tacoma Pierce County Chaplaincy in January of 1981 as a volunteer chaplain.  Soon after, in 1986 he became a full time chaplain with the TPCC.  Chaplain Casey serves the firefighters of the Tacoma Fire Department in times of need and also responds with the department on calls in times of death and crisis.  Chaplain Casey is an integral and important part of the service provided by the Tacoma Fire Department to firefighters and the citizens served by the Tacoma Fire Department.  Chaplain Casey's mission is "to be visible and available to those in need." 

Formed in 1971, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chaplaincy has grown into one of the largest agencies of its kind in the country.  Volunteer chaplains from nearly 30 agencies work cooperatively with a small paid staff to provide comfort and counsel at more than 3200 incidents each year. Perhaps a loved one of yours was helped by a chaplain after being a victim of a crime, auto accident, or other tragedy.

TAPCO Credit Union adopted the Tacoma-Pierce County Chaplaincy as its 1999 Community Service Project.  This joint effort is held in the memory of Jimmy Cason, a longtime Tacoma firefighter whose family was helped by the chaplaincy after his untimely death.  Cason had been a strong supporter of the chaplaincy program.

The chaplaincy is funded entirely by donations.  The agency receives no public funding.  The Chaplaincy has struggled to keep chaplains available around the clock for families in their times of need.

For more information, please contact:

TPCC
P.O. Box 65048
University Place, WA 98464

Participating Agencies:

Tacoma-Pierce County Fire Buff Battalion

The Tacoma Fire Department has worked closely with the Tacoma-Pierce County Fire Buff Battalion to support firefighters engaged in firefighting activities.  They have provided refreshments and snacks to many tired firefighters and documented many fires with photographs and video since their inception.

The purpose of the club is to assist the department and the firefighters by providingcanteen/rehab and photography/videography at the scene of incidents. 

Members have shown a deep respect for the Tacoma Fire Department, it's firefighters, and the fire service in general.  

Photographs and videos of fires and other incidents that the Fire Buff Battalion have taken have been used for training, fire prevention, historic documentation, and possible supportive evidence in litigation.

Tacoma/Pierce County Fire Buff Battalion held its first meeting at the home of Eric Langlow on November 23, 1986.  Only two of those present are still active members, Ralph and Michelle Decker.

Over the years the club has met at the Tacoma Fire Department Training Center, the now Closed Station 5, Station 12, and at the home of the Deckers.  It was established that the club would meet monthly on the third Saturday of each month.  The club has grown to 30 members, many of whom were recruited from the annual Fire Prevention display at the Tacoma Mall.

The Tacoma Pierce County Fire Buff Battalion is a member of the International Fire Buff Associates (IFBA), an organization of several local fire buff clubs in cities throughout the United States and Canada.  The IFBA has about 5,000 official members, but there are thousands more around the world with the same deep interest in the fire service.  Each year the IFBA holds a convention in one of its member cities, and Tacoma had the honor of hosting this annual event in 1999.

From the beginning, when there was an incident that the club thought might need support, club members would load refreshments in their private autos, and respond.  This all changed on December 20, 1994, when the Tacoma Fire Department and the Tacoma City Council donated one of Tacoma's former Rescue units to the club, in exchange for their services.  The Tacoma Fire Department's Fire Garage converted the apparatus to include a two-burner propane stove, a small refrigerator, and a microwave oven.  Private citizens donated all the equipment.  The Department repainted the unit and even lettered it.  The club is very grateful for everything that was done to prepare the unit for service.

The Tacoma Professional Firefighters Local #31 has supported the Fire Buffs by allowing Tacoma firefighters to support the unit with voluntary payroll deductions.  This money is used for insurance, upkeep, and food supplies.  The Fire Buffs would like to thank the firefighters of IAFF local #31 for their continuing support.

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