More About Your Elected Fire Commissioners
Tim Miles – Chairman – Hi, I’m Tim Miles. I’ve run my own business for years and have called Onalaska home for more than three decades. My wife, Vicky, and I have been married for 34 years, and together we’ve built a great life here.
Living in Onalaska for 31 years has given me a deep connection to the community. I’m proud to help out wherever I can and do my part to keep this place welcoming and strong. Whether it’s through work or just lending a hand to neighbors, I love serving our community and hope to keep doing so for many years to come.
Carol Brock – My name is Carolyn (Carol) Brock. Retired from Boeing Portland as a Quality Investigator. A position that I took seriously and enjoyed greatly. I had worked my way through assembly at both Everett and Renton before moving into the quality field and relocating to Lewis County for our planned retirement. Wife of over 50 years, Mom to two children, both retired military, and a grandmother, I see things from many perspectives.
I started my firefighter/EMS experience while we lived in King County. Supporting the community efforts to form a district department in rural King County outside of North Bend, then moving to Fall City, and became the first woman on that department. My husband and I completed 18 years of service between those departments. At that time, I decided that I would like to be a commissioner when I retired and could dedicate time to the position.
When the opening for Position 2 became available in 2019, I was appointed and then elected to fulfill the remainder of that term.
Watching this department become a pillar of the community and helping to guide it during some growing pains is a matter of pride for me personally and for the community. We have been fortunate to have excellent staff, volunteers, and community support to bring LCFD 1 into a department that is part of the foundation of Onalaska.
John Faber – John Faber is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in oil refinery operations, leadership, and emergency response. Based in Billings, Montana, John spent 22 years at the local refinery, where he advanced from a process operator to console operator, ultimately serving as a shift supervisor. His expertise played a key role in the successful upgrade of the refinery’s instrumentation systems from analog to computerized controls—a pivotal modernization effort that significantly improved plant efficiency and safety.
John’s commitment to safety extended beyond his day-to-day responsibilities. For five years, he served as a dedicated member of the refinery’s fire brigade, providing critical emergency response and supporting operational readiness. That spirit of service continued in the public sphere, where he has served with professionalism and integrity as a fire district commissioner.
Before his civilian career, John served six years in the U.S. Navy as a machinist’s mate and later continued in the Navy Reserve as an information systems technician, eventually retiring with distinction. His military experience laid the foundation for a lifelong commitment to discipline, systems thinking, and team leadership.
A native of Grand Junction, Colorado, John graduated from high school in 1966 before going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics. His unique blend of hands-on technical expertise, digital systems knowledge, and leadership across sectors highlights a career defined by service, adaptability, and continuous improvement.
About the Fire Chief
Chief Brad Flexhaug
With a steadfast commitment to both professional excellence and community safety, Chief Flexhaug is widely respected for his proactive approach and dedication to ongoing education. He remains deeply involved in mentoring recruits, fostering a culture of teamwork, and ensuring the highest standards of emergency response throughout the district. Under his leadership, the department has forged strong partnerships with local agencies and continually seeks innovative ways to improve emergency services. Chief Flexhaug’s vision for the future centers on preparedness, resilience, and delivering compassionate, expert care to every resident and visitor in the community.
Chief Flexhaug has worked as a Paramedic in Lewis County since 1994. In 2018, he became the part-time Fire Chief for the Onalaska Fire Department. Under his leadership, the District progressed to the point where he could serve as Chief full-time and helped establish an advanced life support (ALS) program to meet all local medical needs.
His certifications include Paramedic, Firefighter 1 & 2, Hazmat Operations, Incident Command System 100, 200, 300, 400, Fire Instructor 1, Fire Instructor 2, Fire Officer 1, EVIP Trainer, Wildland Firefighter 2 & 1, Training in Active Shooter Incidents.
He secured numerous grants for the district, bringing much-needed equipment to the District at little or no cost.