Richland fire chief climbs to top of his profession — and leaves it

After more than 35 years as a firefighter in two countries, Grant Baynes plans to strip down atop the second tallest building west of the Mississippi to honor a friend and end a career.

Baynes, who officially retired as Richland’s fire chief last week, will climb up 69 flights of stairs in Seattle’s Columbia Center on Sunday for the 24th annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb.

The event to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will be Baynes’ last of his celebrated career in fire service.

The grueling climb is a test of endurance and mental toughness. Firefighters have about 60 pounds of gear on as they make their way up 1,311 steps more than 700 feet in the sky. Air tanks connect to masks strapped to their faces, so controlling their breathing is a must.

There will be plenty of motivation for Baynes, 60, as he makes his third and last ascent. There are pictures at every turn of cancer survivors and those who lost their battle with the disease.

Also motivating him will be memories of his close friend and longtime Richland firefighter Charlie Bryan, who died in 2002 just a few days after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Bryan first encouraged Baynes to join the Richland department. The pair discussed life, philosophy and anything else that came to mind on their long drives to Olympia when Baynes worked for the state fire marshal’s office.

“He’s one of the true old firefighter characters,” Baynes said.

A story circulated in Richland fire stations that Bryan wanted to strip off his uniform and walk away in his boxers when he retired. For whatever reason, when the time came for the captain to retire in 1999, he left a little more conventionally.

So, Baynes plans to fulfill his friend’s dream when he finishes his climb. He plans to strip off his gear for the last time and head down in the elevator in boxers and a T-shirt.

Bryan’s son, Damon, also a Richland firefighter competing in the climb, will carry Baynes’ gear to the ground.

“In my head, this will be it,” Baynes said. “It will be an emotional time.”

Baynes started his firefighting career in his home country of New Zealand in 1978. He grew up in Ashburton, on the South Island, and worked in nearby Christchurch, retiring there as a senior station officer.

Baynes likes to refer to himself as an “imported groom” because he moved to the Tri-Cities in 1996 after marrying his wife, Traci.

He worked in construction for a short time before joining the fire marshal’s office performing inspections, fire investigations and other duties.

The Richland Fire Department hired Baynes in December 1999, putting him to work as deputy chief until naming him chief in 2003. During his time as chief, Baynes was known for his strong people skills and ability to strengthen relationships with other departments.

Baynes also took over as chief of Benton Fire District 1 when Bob Gear left to run the Pasco Fire Department. He, along with other chiefs in the area, helped efforts to make fire services in the Tri-Cities more regionalized.

“Grant never never came here and tried to prove he was a super firefighter from New Zealand,” Gear said. “He chose instead to focus on things he thought needed to be taken care of. And a lot of that was relationship building.”

Baynes — who was constantly ribbed for his accent — changed the culture within the Richland department, drastically improving the attitude of firefighters and relationships with the city, officials said.

Chief Tom Huntington told the Herald that Baynes’ leadership is what changed the department into what it is today.

“We were a lot more concerned with our own welfare and what’s best for us,” he said. “(Baynes) was more concerned with what’s best for the community we serve.”

Damon Bryan, who will wear his father’s helmet during this weekend’s climb, agreed with his chief.

“Honestly, (Baynes) changed a whole culture in the fire service in the Tri-Cities,” he said.

That shift has led to a more community-orientated department and the urge to participate in fundraisers like the stair climb.

The 18-man Richland team raised more than $45,000 for the climb and was in third place among all departments statewide, despite having far fewer personnel. The team has raised money since the start of the year, with the largest fundraiser bringing in more than $8,000.

The team has made Morgan, a 10-year-old Richland girl who has battled acute lymphoblastic leukemia, its honorary captain for the climb. Morgan’s mother, Elaine, asked that the Herald not use the family’s last name to help protect her daughter’s identity.

Morgan went through 27 months of chemotherapy, twice losing her hair, her mother said. She is in remission and sports a head full of curls. She has to be cancer free for two more years before she is considered cured.

When the team decided to make Morgan their honorary captain, they bombarded her street with firetrucks and ambulances. Sirens roared, and the team called to her on the loudspeaker.

“It was quite a moment,” Elaine said. “All the neighbors came out of their houses.”

When Baynes sheds his gear on Sunday, it will not only be symbolic of a career ending, but another one starting. Underneath he will have on a T-shirt featuring the design of Senior Life Resources Northwest, where he has taken over as executive director.

The company is known for its Meals on Wheels program, which delivers meals to homebound clients and has dining centers in the Tri-City area.

Baynes hopes to break the 20-minute mark on the stair climb. It takes some firefighters more than 50 minutes to finish. He finished fourth out of 20 Richland firefighters last year and in the top 10 in his age group.

While the climb will mean an end to Baynes’ career, he said he will take the lessons he’s learned in firefighting and apply them in other areas of his life.

He said he’s excited about the next chapter and helping his new organization grow.

This story was originally published March 7, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Richland fire chief climbs to top of his profession — and leaves it."