Camano Island Fire Department/Mill Creek Paramedic, Washington • Line of Duty Death: April 22, 2018

Erik L. Shouse, a Mill Creek paramedic and a Camano Island fire commissioner, died in the line of duty on April 22, 2018, from cardiac arrest as a result of stress on the job.

Shouse’s lifelong career in firefighting began at the age of 18 as a volunteer. Shouse enrolled at Central Washington University to become certified as a paramedic and spent much of his career at Station 76 in Mill Creek, the busiest in Fire District 7.

Shouse is survived by his wife, Kalina, and his two daughters.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has paid off the Shouse family’s mortgage as part of its 2021 Season of Hope initiative.