Regional Coordinator for the Northwest Region of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Alan “Fitz” Fitzpactrick, will present on all things Healing Waters. To join the Zoom call REGISTER HERE.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and the disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings.

PHWFF provides participants the opportunity to be involved in five core program activities on an ongoing basis. This is all provided to the participant at no cost! PHWFF is a national nonprofit that is active in 220 communities national wide, with five programs here in Oregon.

Fitz will have a presentation explaining the core program areas as well as some details on the programs and participants here in Oregon and around the Northwest Region. He also has a great short film to share with you all that will really drive home the impact of fly fishing for one local combat veteran.

Can’t wait to (virtually) see you all and share just a little of what this great group of local volunteers is doing in our communities for this incredible population of Americans.

Bio:

Alan “Fitz” Fitzpatrick

U.S. Army | 1996 – 2016

Northwest Regional Coordinator

Fitz was born in Clackamas County Oregon in 1977.  He graduated Rex Putnam High School in 1996 and went off to the Army’s Basic Training later that summer before continuing on to the Combat Medic Course and other schools.  Fitz spent the majority of his career as a Medic with a Forward Surgical Team, his broadening assignments included instructing, and staff assignments up to the Corps level. His leadership assignments included section NCO, Team Leader, Squad Leader, Platoon SGT, Team Sergeant and Acting First Sergeant.  Alan has combat deployments to both the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters.  He attended the U.S. Army NCO Academy graduating the Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic NCO Course, and the Advanced NCO Course. He holds an Associates of Applied Science in Fire Suppression from Chemeketa Community College in Salem Oregon, and an Associates of Applied Science in Emergency Medical Services from Central Oregon Community Collage in Bend, Oregon. He currently holds many professional certifications in both structural and wildland firefighting, as well as many pre-hospital medical certifications including an Oregon State Paramedic License.  Fitz works full time as a Firefighter / Paramedic for the Salem Fire Department.  Fitz married Heather in September 2018 and has two boys in high school Christopher, and Kaden.  Alan has volunteered with faith-based originations stateside and abroad, youth activities and athletics, local fire districts, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, as well as PHWFF – Salem. He is a member of veteran’s service organizations, the Santiam FlyCasters, and sat on the board of directors.

Fitz first picked up a fly rod in the late 90’s and wasn’t to sure about it, but in 2004 after returning from his first deployment from Iraq, and while attending paramedic school in Central Oregon, his waders never really dried out, and his rod was always strung up in the back of his pickup.  After the boys were born, it went by the wayside and became a once or twice a year luxury until the boys started School. He soon found himself spending hours with a rod in hand or at the oars of his drift boat on the Oregon coast as well as the lower end of the Deschutes River. In 2014 after returning form Afghanistan he found himself at the Warrior Transition Battalion, Madigan Army Medical Center, where he met Chuck Tye. Becoming a PHWFF participant he rediscovered his passion for he water, outdoors and of course became re-addicted to the tug at the end of this fly line. After completing his treatment he returned to his home in Salem. Fitz became involved with PWHFF – Salem where he would become the Program Lead before being appointed Regional Coordinator for the Northwest Region of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.