This year marks the end of Fire District 3 Chief Scott Sorenson’s 45-year career, making him the longest-serving employee in the district’s history.
On Monday, Dec. 30, firefighters, family and close friends gathered at Fire Station 31 in Brush Prairie to celebrate Sorenson’s retirement. A 1980 graduate of Battle Ground High School, Sorenson followed in the footsteps of his volunteer firefighter father, joining the district as a volunteer in 1979 before beginning his official career as a firefighter and EMT in 1982.
Sorenson’s journey in the fire service was not initially planned. He had been studying electronics at Clark College, a popular field at the time, but a calling to serve others in moments of crisis led him to a career in fire service.
“Helping people when they’re having a bad day, to bring some sense to chaos, whether it’s a rescue call or a fire call or just a medical problem that someone is having, to be there with them when they’re needing help is what I really became drawn to,” Sorenson said.
Throughout his career, Sorenson held multiple roles, including lieutenant, captain, division chief, deputy chief, assistant chief and, ultimately, chief in 2017. Sorenson recalled the district experienced two remodels and two new stations during his career.
“The community has changed considerably. There’s more population, more activity, and that drives the need for services. We’ve increased staffing, the number of personnel, and call volume has gone up. It’s been a continual climb since I started,” Sorenson said.
His time as chief was marked by significant growth in the district, particularly following Battle Ground’s annexation of Fire District 3 in 2021, which doubled the district’s population. Deputy Mayor Shane Bowman, who attended Sorenson’s retirement party, praised Sorenson’s leadership during this transformative period.
“It’s been phenomenal. His leadership has been great. They provided more service for our citizens in Battle Ground and throughout the district by bringing us on and annexing us in. It doubled the district size as far as the population base, but he’s done a great job staying under budget, being conservative in their approach from the fire services standpoint, and providing us with more service for less money, which has been a benefit,” Bowman said. “I just wish him well in retirement. He deserves it.”
Looking ahead, Sorenson plans to spend his retirement with his family, embarking on a new chapter of life. Assistant Chief Chris Drone will take over district operations. Sorenson credits his colleagues in Fire District 3 for the support that helped him navigate every role throughout his long career.
“The guidance and support that I got from the staff here, they always helped me, and that was true throughout my career,” Sorenson said. “A lot of it is routine and preparation. We do most of our work preparing to provide service to the public, and it just fit me.”
