Our Team

South Bay Fire District 8

Chief Brian VanCamp

Chief VanCamp has been a member of the South Bay Fire Department since 1973. He promoted through the ranks of the District from volunteer Firefighter to Deputy Chief, then being appointed as volunteer Fire Chief in 1996. He was hired in 1999 as the District’s first full-time career Fire Chief.

Chief VanCamp was instrumental in the development of the Thurston Fire & Rescue Training Consortium (and is its present Chair) and currently serves as the Past-President of the Thurston County Association of Fire Chiefs. He is also a member of the South Puget Sound Community College Fire & Emergency Services Technology Advisory Board and the Thurston County Medic One Operations Committee.

Brian is a graduate of Washington State University, the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer program and has received the Chief Fire Officer Designation.

Chief VanCamp is a Thurston County “Thurstoneer” as his ancestor Franz family were pioneers in the Lacey area. He is married and has a daughter attending college. In his spare time, he likes travel, fine dining and outdoors activities. He is also interested in railroading hobbies including modeling, history and photography. Email Chief VanCamp at vancamp@southbayfire.com.

“It been a pleasure to work with the fine folks in the department over the years and watch it grow into a very professional organization serving our citizens today!”

Read the Chief’s Monthly Report

Assistant Chief Brandon LeMay

Chief LeMay joined the South Bay Fire Department in October of 2010, as the Training and Safety Officer. He is currently the Department’s Chief of Operations.

Chief LeMay has been in the fire service since 1996 when he graduated from the Louis F. Garland Fire Training Academy in San Angelo, TX. Brandon was a U.S. Air force firefighter stationed in Texas, Kansas, Korea, Missouri, Massachusetts, and Kuwait. He also worked as a fire protection service contractor for the Department of Defense in Afghanistan.

Prior to his employment with SBFD, he was a Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal with the Washington State Patrol, State Fire Marshal’s Office. Brandon has received the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Designation, the National Fire Academy’s, Executive Fire Officer Program (EFO) certification and is a graduate of the University of New Haven, CT, where he received two Bachelor Degrees; to include a B.S. in Fire Administration and a B.S. in Fire/Arson Investigation with a minor in Criminal Justice.

Brandon, his wife Belle and their son’s Dylan and Ayden live in District, here in Olympia. Brandon and his family enjoy traveling, sports, meeting new people, camping, and most other outdoor activities.

Email Chief LeMay at lemay@southbayfire.com

“The South Bay Fire Department is a group of exceptionally talented and dedicated members that I am very proud to be a part of! If anyone else thinks they have what it takes to be an emergency responder – I recommend applying to join our team!”

District Secretary Heidi Stumpf

Heidi joined the Department in 2006. She came with experience from having been a school secretary with the Yelm School District for 20 years.

Ms. Stumpf plays a dual role in the Department as the District Secretary, managing administrative functions in the office, and serves as confidential Secretary to the Board (as defined by RCW 52.14.080), providing clerical, administrative and financial support to the Board of Fire Commissioners.

Heidi lives in Pierce County with her husband. She has grown children and five grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and camping with her husband. Email Secretary Stumpf at heidis@southbayfire.com.

Battalion Chief Brent McBride

Battalion Chief McBride grew up on Johnson Point and started volunteering in 2000. In 2008 he was hired on as our Assistant Chief in charge of Training & Safety programs. In 2010 he took over as the Assistant Chief of Operations and oversees the incident response for District 8.

In his free time, Chief McBride enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, traveling, skiing, and boating.

Chief McBride also donates his time to Fire Fighters Crossing Borders, an organization that travels to Mexico to provide training and much needed supplies to fire departments there. Email Chief McBride at mcbride@southbayfire.com.

Battalion Chief Darrel Clowes

joined South Bay Fire in January, 2020. He has been in the fire service 2 years as a volunteer in LA County California, and spent the past 15 years as a Firefighter, Engineer, Captain, and Acting Battalion Chief for a 155 member career department near Kansas City.
As well as being a credentialed Fire Officer with the Center for Public Safety Excellence, he has obtained an Associate's degree in Fire Science and a Bachelor's degree in Fire and Emergency Management.
Prior to joining the department he worked for 15 years as both a shipbuilder in Virginia and a structural steel Ironworker in California. When time allows, he enjoys anything outdoors and spending time with his fiancé and their 5 dogs.

Lieutenant Allie Choate

Allie Choate joined the SBFD in 2019. She lives here in Olympia with her partner Dylan, their son Maxwell and dog Louie. She is originally from Reno, Nevada and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2011.

Allie joined the fire service in 2013 at McLane Black Lake Fire Department where she earned a degree in Fire and Emergency services. She feels fortunate to be hired at South Bay this year. “I love the beautiful community I serve and my Fire Department family. In my spare time, I enjoy my family time, outdoor activities, road trips and game nights. My favorite place to be is at the ocean.”

Lieutenant Travis Osborne

I am a Native Washingtonian, born and raised in Tacoma. I graduated from Henry Foss High School and attended the University of Puget Sound, where I received a
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Minor in Mathematics.

I married my wife, Catherine, (yes I perpetuated the stereotype and married a nurse) in 2014. We have one 5 year old daughter, Brianne, and are anxiously awaiting a second daughter due in 2020. As a family, we love the outdoors, travel, movies, and food.

My career in the fire service began as a legacy in 2003, working with my dad as volunteers for Riverside Fire and Rescue just outside of
Puyallup. Over the course of 9 years, I worked my way through the ranks, ending as a Captain and Training Officer. In 2012, I was hired
full time with North Olympia Fire and Rescue as the Training Lieutenant and Safety Officer. When North Olympia and South Bay merged
in 2015, I followed as a day shift Training Lieutenant. Currently, I work as a day shift Lieutenant managing Apparatus and Equipment.

I am grateful for the opportunities and challenges I receive at South Bay Fire Department, as well as the dedicated and passionate
team members I work with each day.

Lieutenant Evan Parnell

Evan Parnell joined the SBFD in 2008 as a volunteer where he worked until 2019 when he was hired full-time as a career fire fighter. Prior to working full-time for SBFD Evan was a safety consultant in the construction industry conducting on-site training and safety related services for the construction and general industries. When Evan isn’t working, he enjoys renovating houses and instructing safety-related courses with his business.

Lieutenant Jake Zvirzdys

Jacob Zvirzdys has been with the South Bay Fire Department for nine years. He started as a volunteer member and in 2014 he was hired as the first career firefighter with the department. In 2020, Jacob worked his way up into a leadership position as a Lieutenant in charge of deploying training for the night and weekend shifts. He and his family have resided in the district for 32 years.

When not on shift, he enjoys spending time outdoors boating on the sound, riding side-by-sides in the dunes and hiking in the mountains.

Firefighter Eric Gettle

Eric Gettle currently lives in Chehalis with his wife and five-year-old son. He joined South Bay in 2018 as a volunteer. He has a background in ministry prior to working as an EMT with Olympic Ambulance. Originally from Tacoma and Gig Harbor, Eric enjoys running and hiking with his dogs, watching movies, and playing games with his family.

"I'm honored to continue serving my community with such a great Fire Department. I've loved South Bay since the day I got here. Thank you for having me as one of your newest Firefighters!"

Firefighter Bryce Gibler

Bryce Gibler has lived in the Lacey/Olympia area his entire life. He joined South Bay as a volunteer in 2017. He’s worked at East Olympia Fire Department part time for a year, then with Mason County Fire District #4 part-time and promoted to a career position for two years. During that time, he gained leadership experience and enjoyed mentoring new firefighters. In his free time, he enjoys riding dirt bikes, working on cars and bodybuilding.

“I am very thankful to be back with my home department.”