By Dennis Box-The Courier-Herald

The region’s community of firefighters

has gathered together to plan a

memorial service for former East Pierce

Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Dan Packer,

which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday

at Christian Faith Center in Federal Way,

33645 20th Ave. South.

The 49-year-old chief died July 26 in

a wildfire at the Panther Fire south of

Happy Camp in Siskiyou County in northern

California. Packer was scouting the

fire, preparing to assume division supervisor

duties, when the blaze changed

directions and blew over him.

An incident management team has

been assembled to work out the details

of the memorial. The group includes

members from Tacoma, Graham, Orting,

Pierce County, East Pierce and other

jurisdictions. The team is being led by

Deputy Chief Jeff Jensen from Tacoma

Fire.

“We use incident management for all

types of events,” Jensen said. “We can

use it for simple single engine events and

complex events like this memorial. It can

be used for wildfires or memorials. Chief

Packer was a member of a incident management

team.”

Jensen said the first task of the team

was to take over the work of the memorial

and make sure East Pierce’s emergency

response capabilities is intact.

At a July 28 meeting, fire district

commission members appointed John

McDonald, East Pierce deputy chief, to

take over as fire chief on an interim

basis.

McDonald, along with Packer’s wife

Marylee and two East Pierce firefighters,

traveled to California and escorted

the chief’s body home July 30. The East

Pierce wildfire team and more than 100

firefighters from the region met the DC-3

firefighting plane as it landed at Tacoma

Narrows Airport.

While the planning and preparation for

the memorial moved forward, members

of East Pierce grappled with the loss of

their chief.

“He was a visionary leader for this organization,” McDonald

said. “While he was a great

fire chief, his life revolved

around his family. For the

time we had him we are

extremely grateful.”

Firefighter Dan Curtis,

who has been with East

Pierce for 13 years, said

Packer was “always there

to help. It will take us a long

time to realize what he has

done with this department.”

East Pierce Lt. Rich

Simmons described Packer

as a visionary who wanted

to get the “seasoned veterans

to empty their minds

before they leave. I took

every opportunity to empty

his mind.”

Capt. Jay Adams has been

with the department for 22

years. His relationship with

the chief extended back

prior to Packer being hired

in 1995.

“He mentored me and

understood me,” Adams

said. “He was a calming

influence over everyone. He

was firefighter, husband and

father and more than any of

that - he was a man.”

The procession to the

memorial service Thursday

in Federal Way is scheduled

to begin at 10:15 a.m. at

the Public Safety Building.

From there more than 100

fire engines, emergency

trucks and other vehicles

will t ravel to Sumner

arriving at about 10:30

a.m. and t ravel on to

the Chr ist ian Fa it h

Center.

Dennis Box can be

reached at dbox@courierherald.

com.