Prior to moving to Pullman, Chief LaVielle grew up in the Seattle King County area and became a Volunteer firefighter in 1981 before being hired in 1982. Prior to attaining the position of fire chief in 2007, he served as fire marshal for over 10 years and a shift battalion chief for over 5 years. Chief LaVielle has a great passion for serving his community and making an impact in the lives of others.

Academically, Chief LaVielle understands the value of hard work, sacrifice and dedication. He has worked continually throughout his career to attain several degrees focused on academics and the fire service. Chief LaVielle has acquired the professional qualifications that exemplify the strongest attributes of a fire chief and those that are crucial for leading an organization successfully.

He has earned four Associate in Arts degrees including, General Studies, Fire Command and Administration, Fire Prevention Specialist and Fire Investigation. He also holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees, one in Public Administration Leadership and one in Psychology.

Chief LaVielle is a graduate of the four year National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program and is a certified Chief Fire Officer Designee (CFOD) and a Chief Medical Officer Designee (CMOD) earning his certifications from the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Chief LaVielle's CFOD certification ranks him as 1 of the 804 elite members worldwide and his CMOD ranks him 65 worldwide. Currently there are only 27 worldwide who hold both designations. He maintains memberships in many local and national organizations including an international certification with the Institution of Fire Engineers (MIFireE).