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Chaplains

Chaplains are trained in crisis response and intervention, not just for the citizens of the community, but for firefighters and their families as well.  A chaplain can be there for you and your family for personal situations.  As a “jack of all trades” in the support field, a chaplain can be a valuable resource.  They can do ceremonies such as weddings, funerals and baby baptisms.  A chaplain can provide insight and a listening ear.  All communication with a chaplain is considered confidential; they can be contacted directly and anonymously at any time.  Whether it be a hospital visit when you or a family member is injured or sick, or you need some support from a non-judgmental party, a chaplain will be there for you. Being available 24/7 to respond when requested by crews on scene of traumatic circumstances is honestly just a small part of what a chaplain does.   

Chaplains (Alphabetical by Department)

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​Burien/North Highline Fire
Russ Galbreath
Email
Phone
Began in 1998 at North Highline and now also Burien Fire Departments. Married in1955 to Barbara Ann Bennett. Father of two Sons: Russell Bennett Galbreath and Nathan Wayne Galbreath. Grandfather of two Grandsons, and Great Grandfather of  two girls and one boy. Education: Minnesota Bible College, University of Minnesota, Fuller Theological Seminary
Ministered to churches in: Clear Lake, Iowa; Inglewood, CA; South Gate, CA; Seattle, WA. Held crusades in India, Korea, Japan and several in the United States. Served as chaplain on board of over 30 cruises. Since retirement served as Interim Minister for several congregations. Guest Professor at Puget Sound Christian College and received Christian Service Award of Merit. Retired after 29 years as Senior Minister of West Seattle Christian Church. Awarded Distinguished Service Award by the Board of Commissioners of the North Highline Fire District.

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Enumclaw Fire Department
Marcus Kelly
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phone
Marcus Kelly is the pastor of New Life Foursquare Church in Enumclaw since Feb of 2008.  After several difficult calls in a short amount of time the Enumclaw Police and Fire contacted Pat Ellis from Kent to recruit a local chaplain.  Pastor Marcus connected with Pat Ellis and started as chaplain for Enumclaw Police and Fire in April of 2013.  He enjoys spending time his wife and 3 kids and riding his motorcycle during the summer months.  

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Enumclaw Fire Department
Jessica Zielinski
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phone
Jessica has been serving her community for many years but most recently as a chaplain for the Enumclaw Fire Department and Enumclaw Police Department. She is an ordained minister at Grace Point Northwest and serves within the congregations’ children programs and services. 
Jessica has been volunteering with Behind the Badge Foundation, and The Soup Ladies for a number of years and is the President of King County Spouses Association which provides every day assistance to families of law enforcement. 
When not serving her community, Jessica is an avid outdoorsman that enjoys fishing, hunting and foraging with her three children and King County Deputy husband of 16 years. They reside in Enumclaw on a small hobby farm.


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​King County Medic One
Mel McClure
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phone
Born in Bellingham and raised locally. I overlapped 14 years as a volunteer firefighter with 27 full time years with King County Medic One. I retired from Medic One in 2003 and went into the Chaplaincy in 2010. I am ordained at Monroe Community Chapel, a non denominational Christian Church. Did a couple of years active in the Marines in the late 50's, aside from 15 years with Boeing that pretty much covers me.


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Mountain View Fire/District 44
Tim Bollig
email
phone
Tim serves as a chaplain for Mountain View Fire and Rescue, King County Sheriff’s Department and their allied agencies. He is a Marine Corps veteran originally from Southern California; where he later retired from a 22 year law enforcement career. With an Advanced CA POST law enforcement certification, he has served in numerous specialized assignments and instructed specializing in all levels of force options and communications at academy, in-service and advanced training levels internationally. As a Chaplain he is a certified Crisis Intervention Specialist II and attended King County’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training as well as numerous specialized certifications from International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. His most cherished assignment however is as a husband, father and grandfather.

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Mountain View Fire/District 44
Kari Bradshaw
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phone
Kari has been a volunteer EMT with Black Diamond Fire / Mountainview Fire & Rescue since 1997. She assisted on chaplain calls for years before attending the chaplain academy in 2003 receiving her certification. She worked as a 911 call receiver/dispatcher for Valley Communications Center for 10 years and left there to travel around the world for a year prior to getting married. She now stays home with her 4 young boys and enjoys her time at the fire department assisting with continuing education and chaplaincy serving the members and community. She is also a member of the soup ladies and is honored to be able to serve in that way.​

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Mountain View Fire/Dist. 44
Cindy Schafer
email
phone
Having been raised in the Air Force, I enjoyed living all over the US and some parts of the world.  I love to travel and meet people from all over.  I have been married to my sweet husband for over 30 years and have 2 grown daughters.  I love helping people in any way I can.  I am thankful to have the opportunity to work with the Mountain View Fire and Rescue.

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Puget Sound Fire, Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety
Pat Ellis
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phone
Pat Ellis has served the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority (Formally known as the Kent Fire Department), Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety, Valley 911 Communications Center, and the Kent Police Department since 2000.  He teaches Critical Incident Stress Management, Emotional Survival in Emergency Services and Compassion Fatigue for the South King County Fire Training Consortium, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, Bates Technical College Fire Academy and School.  Pat serves as President of the Board for the Washington State Fallen Fire Foundation and is the co-author of the Washington State Fire Associations Line of Duty Death Policy and Procedures, is the State Coordinator for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Local Assistant State Team (LAST) for Washington State, and leads the committee that plans the Washington State Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.

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​Puget Sound Fire
Lisa Ellis
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phone
Lisa Ellis has been involved with the chaplain program since 2001 along with her husband, Chaplain Pat Ellis. She has a deep faith and a degree in Biblical Counseling. She uses this knowledge along with her life experiences to facilitate individual and group get-togethers, from grief share programs to first responder debriefs, to coffee for one.  She is blessed with 3 children, all who have taken her down roads she never thought she would walk. She has 4 amazing grandkids that have captured her heart.  Her other passion of her heart, is photography. She shoots for individual departments and is a part of the State LAST Team, photographing the moments of saying goodbye to fallen brothers or sisters.

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Puget Sound Fire
Steve Murray
email
phone
​Steve Murray is the founding pastor of Real Life Church in Covington, Washington. He started as a chaplain in 2001 with Maple Valley Fire and Safety. He has also worked with the Pacific Institute, bringing a personal empowerment of education to marginalized people groups.
Steve is the father of three grown boys. He is also an artist that mixes abstract acrylic painting and wire sculpting with his gift of public speaking. 

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Puget Sound Fire
Kathy Stevens
email
Phone
I’ve been a volunteer chaplain with Kent PD and Puget Sound RFA for three and ½ years now.  My heart is with those who suffer loss and I am grateful to be able to help them through their worst few moments.  My day job (or night job) is at the 911 center – Valley Communications Center. I am a supervisor and have been at Valley Com for 28-1/2 years. I love what I do and find it rewarding to serve our communities and work with so many energetic and fun people.  I am married, have 4 step-kids  (all married), 6 grandchildren, 2 dogs and one very old cat!  I love to just hang out with my huge extended family, cooking and loving on the grandbabies! My other interests include getting together with friends over a good cup of coffee, gardening, camping, fishing and traveling to new places.


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Puget Sound Fire
Jason Fors
email
phone
Chaplain Jason Fors grew up in Kent and is a graduate of Kentwood HS. After high school Chaplain Fors attended Oregon Health Sciences University where he graduated in Paramedicine. He was a paramedic in Las Vegas for several years before moving back to Kent with his wife and kids. He is a recent graduate of Northwest University with a degree in Ministry Leadership. Chaplain Fors has been serving as a chaplain with the Kent Police & Fire Departments since 2014.


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Puget Sound Fire
Jeff Bearce
Email

Phone

Jeff is a life-time resident of the Puget Sound area and has lived in Covington, with his wife Michelle, for the last 20 years.  He, with Michelle, has been very active in church having served in various capacities including pastor, church board member, children’s education, and laity and crisis counseling. He currently attends Northwest Foursquare Church in Federal Way.  Jeff holds degrees from Seattle Pacific University, the University of Washington, and Northwest University.  When he is not at his job at Boeing as a Senior Computing Systems Architect, Jeff enjoys bird hunting with his dog, Ruger, as well as any type of fishing from Westport, to the Puget Sound area, to the lakes of Eastern Washington.


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Renton RFA
Loretta Green
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Phone
I have been a chaplain for about 8 years now, 6 with the City of Renton.  I have been married for almost 15 years to my amazing husband Mike, and together we have 3 adult children--Jenny, Garrett, and Connor.  I love to camp, play in the garden, and I enjoy people and hearing their stories. You are welcome to contact me.


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Renton RFA
Brad Zylstra
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Phone
Brad Zylstra was born in 1962 and grew up in Oak Harbor, Washington.  He graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1985.  Brad has been a Youth Pastor and a public school teacher for the Renton School District since 1989.  He has been married for the last 35 years to Melissa and together they have two children, Rachel and Benjamin. 



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​Valley Regional Fire Authority
Mark Johnson
email
phone
I am a second generation, third career pastor, called to Family of Grace Lutheran Church in Auburn, Washington. I grew up in Honolulu, met my wife at Kalani High School, married her after college, (PLU and UW) and we raised our family on Oahu and Kauai until we answered God’s call to go to seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. We served at Highland Avenue Lutheran Church for 10 years before answering the call to Family of Grace. We have three adult children, two son-in-laws and five grandchildren. I love to write, play my guitar, putter around the house and go to plays, musicals, movies and concerts with Pam. We like to hike, bike, cook, and take road trips. God is good, all the time. Peace, Pastor Mark

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​Valley Regional Fire Authority
Angel Ogando
email
phone
I have been honored to serve as a chaplain for VRFA and the Auburn Police Department since 2017. Four years ago, my family and I transitioned to the beautiful PNW from Nashville, TN. I am the lead pastor at Auburn Adventist Academy Church and also fortunate to be the head coach of the AAA boys varsity basketball team. My wife and I have been married for almost 10 years and we are blessed with a son and daughter. As a family we enjoy exploring, going to the city, hiking, sports, and snowboarding at Crystal Mountain. We still pinch ourselves, amazed that we have the opportunity to live in the Emerald City, and for the record, the rain really isn't bad.


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Valley Regional Fire Authority and Auburn Police
Daniel Miranda
EMAIL
Phone
I am the lead pastor at Auburn First United Methodist Church. I previously served as a pastor in Waterville, WA, a small community near Wenatchee. While living on the east side I was also a volunteer EMT. I have been married 30 years and have three adult children. My wife is also pastor and serves a church in Port Orchard. I enjoy playing racquetball and staying active.


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Valley Regional Fire Authority
Ginger Passarelli
email
phone
"Mama", married to Harvey, we have 5 children and 6 grands with one more on the way. (Wow! 7?  Not old enough). We live in Black Diamond, and have had Mama Passarelli's Dinner House for just about 13 years now. Been with The Soup Ladies for 13 years. Chaplain for Black Diamond and Auburn Police and Chaplain for Mt View Fire and VRFA. I have been honored to be able to serve the police and fire and police for many years and have traveled all over Washington State (and across the country too). I have a love for our first responders and think personally that they are not appreciated enough.  I love when I can share a cup of coffee or a meal with my department members.  That brings me joy and sometimes heartache.  (You can call me anytime). I have continued classes and education to further enhance skills. I take the privilege and responsibility of serving seriously.  It is an honor.

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Vashon Island Fire & Rescue
Abbott Tryphon
email
phone
​Father Tryphon serves Vashon Island's Fire Department, and the Pierce County Sheriff Department, as a chaplain. He is also abbot of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery on Vashon, and has been an Orthodox priest for over thirty-five years. With a background as a psychologist, Father Tryphon is committed to bringing support to first responders, as well as the general public of both King County and Pierce County.

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If you need personal help immediately and confidentially, please call Code 4 Northwest (link) at (425) 243-5092. Our Chaplains and Peer Support Team pages can help you speak with someone just like you.

Contact Us

SKCFTC Training Center
20811 84th Ave S.
​Kent, WA 98032

Phone

(253) 856-4330
  • Home
  • Health and Wellness
    • Addictions
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    • Chaplains
    • Depression
    • Finances
    • Fitness
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    • Mental Health
    • Need Help Now
    • Nutrition
    • Peer Fitness Trainers >
      • ESFR PFT
      • PSF PFT
      • SKFR PFT
      • VRFA PFT
    • Peer Support >
      • CPFR Peer Support
      • ESFR Peer Support
      • Enumclaw Fire Peer Support
      • Gig Harbor Peer Support
      • KCM1 Peer Support
      • Port of Seattle Peer Support
      • Puget Sound Fire Peer Support
      • Renton RFA Peer Support
      • South King Fire & Rescue Peer Support
      • South Kitsap Peer Support
      • Tukwila Fire Peer Support
      • VRFA Peer Support
    • Post-Traumatic Stress
    • Relationships
    • Sleep Deprivation
    • Suicide
  • About
  • Contact
  • VRFA Peer Support