Former Medical Lake fire chief honored

Current and past Medical Lake firefighters and former chiefs came together on Saturday at the Medical Lake City Hall to honor former Medical Lake Fire Chief Gino Palomino with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his 16 years of service with the Medical Lake Fire Department.

“It’s definitely a well-deserved award,” current Fire Chief Jason Mayfield said.

Palomino was chief for eight years, and served on the Medical Lake Fire Department for 16 years, from 1992 to his departure in 2008.

Palomino was instrumental in developing the Medical Lake department’s emergency medical services division, which the city didn’t have prior to 1993, Mayfield said.

Although Mayfield said that former Mayor Sherry Sterns was instrumental in creating an EMS division in the city, it was Palomino, who also worked for American Medical Response at the time, who nurtured the fledgling EMS program and made it functional.

“He got it up and running,” Mayfield said.

Palomino was twice selected to receive the Spokane County Emergency Medical Services Award that recognizes top EMS agencies in the county, according to a February 2008 Free Press story.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is the second of its kind. Originally created to honor former Fire Chief Cliff Denman, it was decided the time was right for Palomino to receive the award because only three people who had previously worked with him in Medical Lake were still with the fire department, Mayfield said.

Palomino is currently serving as a division chief with Spokane County Fire District 4 in North Spokane County, where he also serves as a department chaplain.

Mayfield said that Palomino impressed on him early in his career that although the tactics and the operational side of the fire service can be learned, having someone to demonstrate how to treat people and make them feel valued was pivotal for him.

“I’ve always tried to emulate that side of it,” Mayfield said of Palomino’s influence. “He’s just a great guy and I’m glad I got to know him. He had a positive influence on me.”

Palomino, who was in Texas for training, could not be reached for comment by press time.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes those in the Medical Lake fire service who have had a positive impact on the fire department and the Medical Lake community as a whole.

Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected].