Fryberger named WSP’s District Trooper of the Year

Veteran Washington State Patrol Trooper Tyler Fryberger has been selected as the District 4 Trooper of the Year. Fryberger has been stationed out of the Ritzville WSP detachment office since 1998, and joined the force in 1990.

With 24 years experience under his belt, the award is being presented to Fryberger in his final year of service, as the trooper intends to retire at the end of the year. While Fryberger accepts the award with humility and respect for the other district nominees, Sergeant Dave Wilbur said Fryberger is deserving of the award for his dedication not only to WSP, but also to his community.

Each detachment within District 4 nominated one trooper, with seven total entered in as nominees. District 4 encompasses the counties of Adams, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens and Whitman. The district headquarters are located in Spokane, and detachment offices are in Colfax, Colville and Ritzville.

Fryberger said the award came as a surprise, as he knew many of his fellow nominees and was amazed he had been selected instead of them.

“The competition is really tight,” Fryberger said. “These are really, really good people.”

The selection process is based on 15 factors, including seniority, community involvement and activity. All of the categories take into consideration the demographic of the trooper’s coverage area, and selects the trooper who is the top performer within the categories.

The interest to be involved in law enforcement developed at a young age for Fryberger, as he was almost inheritably born with the desire. Fryberger has followed in the footsteps of his father, Noel, who initially served as a patrolman in Colorado, before working his way up to captain of the homicide division.

For Fryberger, he vividly remembers when he stumbled upon the passion to pursue a career in law enforcement. The family was moving from Colorado to Montana and traveling in a U-Haul, when a car began cutting through traffic in front of their vehicle.

Fryberger’s father simply told him to wait, and minutes, a patrolman was soon in pursuit of the vehicle. As a 10-year-old, Fryberger knew he wanted to serve in that role.

“And that was it: I knew that I wanted to be that guy,” Fryberger said with confidence and fondness at the memory.

“Law enforcement wise, Dad kind of started that, but watching the state trooper sneak through the traffic to catch the guy driving fast, I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”

After high school, Fryberger joined the Navy as a navigation specialist. At the age of 21, he began to pursue a career in law enforcement and discovered WSP to be the perfect fit, as they did not require a college degree and military experience was preferred.

Fryberger said he went on ride-alongs with troopers to gain an understanding for the field and to receive advice about his future as a patrolman. After being hired as one of the top 10 cadets in his class, Fryberger began his service with WSP being assigned to the governor’s mansion.

After the academy, Fryberger received assignment in Zone 2, South Seattle freeway.

“They took a kid that grew up in Lincoln, Montana, with a graduating class of 10, and put him in downtown Seattle to drive through traffic. I’d never seen that many cars in my life,” Fryberger said with a chuckle. “It was a steep learning curve.”

After a year and a half in the Seattle area, Fryberger applied for a transfer, attempting to move east across the state. He secured a position in Skamania County from 1992-1998, and continually applied for three years to transfer to the east side.

In April 1998, Fryberger moved to the Ritzville area, a location that suited him and his family perfectly, due largely to the small communities and strong agricultural presence.

His wife, Rita, had been homeschooling their sons prior to moving to the area, and the couple had the goal of having their children educated in a rural school district in order for them to receive more one-on-one attention. The Fryberger’s have three sons, Tyler, Marshall and Matthew, all who have graduated and moved on to attend college.

While Fryberger has been with the local detachment for 16 years, he has spent multiple years serving as an Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) instructor at the academy.

The opportunity presented itself when the district had been looking for volunteers to complete the training and Fryberger immediately volunteered.

“I loved what I was doing over there; it was awesome,” Fryberger said.

“It was the most work I’ve ever done … I loved it the best.”

As a long-term temporary member for the academy, Fryberger worked four days a week and commuted home for the weekends. This allowed him to remain involved with his sons’ activities, as well as being active within the community.

Fryberger’s volunteer service ranges from serving as a Peewee basketball coach for six years, assisting the track team and volunteering as a statistician for Bronco sports, as well as at the State B Hardwood Classic for four years.

After 24 years of service, Fryberger is looking forward to retirement, but he still retains the passion for the job he discovered over 30 years ago.

As the District Trooper of the Year, Fryberger is receiving a new car in honor of receiving the acclaimed award, and it is currently his main source of excitement and anticipation for the year.

As a district award recipient, Fryberger is automatically entered as a nominee for the Washington State Trooper for the Year award.

Fryberger is traveling to Olympia in May to receive his award for the district, and the results for the statewide contest will be announced at the ceremony.