Assistant Everett Fire Chief Receives National Research Award

Assistant Fire Chief Rich Llewellyn, photo credit Everett Fire Department

Assistant Fire Chief Rich Llewellyn was recently awarded the 2018 Outstanding Applied Research Award for his Executive Fire Officer Applied Research Project (ARP). Llewellyn’s project, which he completed as part of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, was selected from more than 600 research projects for the national honor.

Llewellyn’s paper, An Epidemic in the Shadows: Using GIS to Map Opioid Use in the Spokane Valley, was “identified as one of the outstanding ARPs to receive this prestigious award,” said Superintendent Tonya Hoover with the National Fire Academy – U.S. Fire Administration, in Llewellyn’s nomination paperwork. She noted that the selection committee chose his paper as “an example of excellent work, for its contribution to the professionalism of the fire service, and to inspire others in achieving new heights.”

Llewellyn developed his project while working as a Division Chief of EMS in Spokane Valley. He identified a lack of understanding concerning the scope and nature of opioid use within the community. In response, Llewellyn used geographic information systems (GIS) to develop maps to facilitate a better understanding of opioid use and abuse within the community. He then translated and presented the information in a manner that was useful to department and community leaders. The paper can be viewed online at the NFA Learning Resource Center (LRC).

Llewellyn, who has been in the fire service for 26 years, joined the Everett Fire Department in the fall of 2018 and serves as the Assistant Chief of Administration with oversight responsibilities for the EMS and Training Divisions. He is currently the Vice President of the Snohomish County Fire Chiefs Association and has previously served on the board of the Washington State Training and Safety Officers. Llewellyn’s formal education includes an associate’s degree in advanced life support, a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and a master of education with an emphasis on adult education. He has earned a graduate certificate in strategic management from Harvard University and is credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer and Chief EMS Officer.