West Pierce Fire & Rescue Announces Next Fire Chief
At Tuesday night’s Board of Fire Commissioners meeting, the Board selected Assistant Chief Ryan McGrady to serve as the next Fire Chief for West Pierce Fire & Rescue.
Originally from Alaska, Chief McGrady’s interest in the fire service first sparked while spending time at fire stations with his father, a volunteer firefighter. He enrolled in Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) school while attending college in Colorado, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology.
He worked for a county EMS agency in Colorado and graduated from Paramedic school. In 2006, Chief McGrady moved to Washington and joined the University Place Fire Department as a Firefighter/Paramedic.
He was promoted to Captain in 2015 and earned his Master’s degree in Public Health two years later. In 2019, he rose to Assistant Chief and currently leads the Operations and Training Division.
Chief McGrady has been recognized for his leadership and service in the community. In 2020, he received the Unsung Hero Award from Lakewood Rotary and Partners in Rotary’s Greater Lakewood for his work surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, he was awarded the Dan Packer Memorial Chief Officer of the Year Award by the Pierce County Fire Chiefs Association.
Fire Chief Jim Sharp, who announced his retirement this summer, will continue to lead the department until Chief McGrady is appointed in the first quarter of 2026.
