Fire District 1 Honors Retiring Chaplain Matthew Lambert of Edmonds

Snohomish County Fire District 1 recently honored Matthew Lambert of Edmonds on his retirement after serving 20 years as a volunteer chaplain.

Fire officials honored Lambert during a ceremony at a Sept. 20 joint meeting of Support 7 volunteers and chaplains who respond around the clock in south Snohomish County to provide support to families whose lives are affected by police and fire emergencies.

They offer comfort, explain what emergency responders are doing, locate family members and friends to provide support and provide food, drink and a quiet place to go inside the Support 7 motor home.

Lambert began his service as a fire department chaplain in 1992 in Mountlake Terrace, where he also serves as a pastor at Bethel Chapel. He continued his work as a chaplain with Fire District 1 following its consolidation with the Mountlake Terrace Fire Department in 2005.

“When firefighters leave the scene to respond to the next 911 call, the work of the chaplain is often just beginning,” said Fire Chief Ed Widdis. “Over the course of 20 years, Matthew has given countless hours, responding day and night at a moment’s notice, to provide comfort and assistance to our citizens. We can’t thank him enough and we wish him all the best.”