When elected as Fire Commissioner in 2011, the Fire Station was not an unfamiliar place to Brad Lothspeich. He had already spent 29 years at Clark County Fire District 6 working nearly every job– from Firefighter to Fire Chief. “It’s a team thing, you get to work together and it’s the teamwork aspect that I always enjoyed,” says Lothspeich.
It was that sense of teamwork and comraderie that Lothspeich missed when he retired in 2003. So, seven years later he ran for the six-year Commissioner term and won. He credits area residents for the Districts success. “It’s important for me to acknowledge the community on how they’ve supported the fire district over the years,” he says. “Their support over all these years has enabled us to grow and serve citizens they way we want to.” And this year that support was crucial to survive a very challenging year. The District had planned to ask for a levy lid lift long before the pandemic came along. After the first known case in Clark County wound up being in District 6 territory, Lothspeich new it was going to be a tough year. “Passing a much-needed levy lid lift was going to be difficult during times of COVID, but the community really stepped up,” says Lothspeich. “And because of them we can run faster response times and keep our people and the community safer.”
His work in the fire service isn’t limited to District 6. He was recently elected to his second term as President of the Washington Fire Commissioners Association. He is a Board Director for the Hazel Dell/Salmon Creek Business Association, Co-Chair of the Parade of Bands, and serves on the Board of Directors for Santa’s Posse.
Despite all that he still has time for family. “My wife and I are fortunate to care for our grandkids three days a week,” he says. “We love to spend time with them and watch them grow. The Fire Service runs in the family’s blood, as Lothspeich’s adult son, Tony, is a Firefighter for District 6. In fact, back when Tony was in elementary school, he participated in the HDSCBA Fire Prevention Month Poster Contest and got an Honorable Mention award. This year, one of Brad’s Grandchildren, using Tony’s old poster for ideas, also entered the same contest—and won. The Poster Contest is just one example of Lothspeich’s sense of community service. “This Fire District has always had the culture of care,” he says. “When we go to people’s homes, we really do care about people. In many cases we form long-lasting relationship with our citizens, and that’s always been very important to me.”