Tragic lesson inspired new Henderson fire chief

Shawn White was working as a 28-year-old paramedic when he was called to the home of a young family.

As he rushed past the balloons, presents and baby shower decorations he found himself by a backyard pool where all eyes were on an unconscious 2-year-old boy.

“The father grabbed me by both arms, looked me in the eyes and said, ‘Save my son,’ ” White said with tears in his eyes. “At that moment the weight of the job hit me. I realized that all of his hopes and dreams were in my hands.”

Although White and his crew were unable to save the child’s life, he learned an important lesson:

“This job is too important to just be OK at,” White said. “You have to be exceptional or else you can miss a window of opportunity.”

His passion for the job is part of the reason why Henderson City Manager Bob Murnane named White as the city’s 11th fire chief on Tuesday.

“I have seen his dedication to the department and to protecting our community, and he’s demonstrated to me that he knows what’s needed to be successful in this position and that he’s extremely capable of taking on the role of chief,” Murnane said in a statement.

White, a finalist for the job in 2016, replaces Matthew Morris, who is leaving after 21 years with the Henderson Fire Department to become chief of the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority in Washington state.

“My goal is to leave a legacy,” White said. “By that I mean I want to create an organization that can accomplish great things with or without me.”

Moving up the ranks

White, 53, was born and raised in Texas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University.

He started his career as a firefighter in 1989 in in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the age of 25. White was a lieutenant when he moved to Henderson in 1999 after friends sold him on the “booming bedroom community.”

At 35, White had to restart his career as a cadet or firefighter/paramedic when he joined the Henderson Fire Department. He worked his way up to captain and battalion chief before becoming deputy chief in 2014.

“The culture has remained the same since I came here,” White said. “We’re constantly looking for ways to improve.”

White said one of his proudest accomplishments is creating the fire department’s Officer Development School, which evaluates firefighters and paramedics to create a “self-improvement management model.”

“I want to create a culture where feedback isn’t a bad thing,” White said. “I want to remind people why we exist as an organization and why they started their careers in the fire department — it’s because people matter.”

White will be sworn in as interim chief Sept. 7. The City Council is expected to vote on whether to approve his contract Sept. 19.

Contact Sandy Lopez at slopez@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686. Follow @JournalismSandy on Twitter.