As Vashon Fire Chief Matt Vinci prepares to leave Vashon after Jan. 17 to become the new chief of Spokane County Fire District #9, Vashon Island Fire & Rescue’s board has taken the first step toward hiring a new fire chief.

The board voted unanimously at a special meeting on Jan. 6 to initiate a bidding process for national consulting firms that assist in searches for fire professionals to submit proposals to VIFR. The board also plans to survey both its staff and the public to garner information going forward as the search process.

In the meantime, Deputy Chief Ben Davidson will lead the district as the highest-ranking member in VIFR’s chain of command.

Davidson has not, at this point, been given the title of interim chief, despite a motion to do so made by Board Chair Brigitte Schran Brown at the Jan. 6 meeting. Schran’s motion also stipulated a pay raise for Davidson to assume the title.

But after discussion in an executive session, Shran Brown tabled the motion, saying the board would return to the discussion at a future meeting. At the same time, she expressed the board’s full support for Davidson as he leads the district following Vinci’s departure.

Davidson, who is expected to be a candidate for the chief position, will be assisted for the next six months by an as-yet-unnamed consultant from Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority (PSRFA), who the board authorized at the Jan. 6 meeting to be paid up to $33,000 for a contract to assist in VIFR’s operations for 10 hours a week for the next six months.

At a meeting on Dec. 19, Vinci said that he was confident that the PSRFA consultant will be well-qualified to advise on the completion of the major renovation currently underway at VIFR’s Fire Station 55 and act as an advisor to VIFR’s staff, including Davidson and Director of Business and Human Relations Christina Bosch.

PSRFA serves the communities of Covington, Kent, Maple Valley, SeaTac and Tukwila as well as the nearby unincorporated areas of King County Fire Districts #37 and #43. With 450 employees, PSRFA is one of the largest fire service agencies in King County and is staffed by 450 people, with 345 of these being uniformed personnel.

Davidson, a 16-year veteran of VIFR, has risen through the ranks since his start with the district as a volunteer, to his most recent former position as Division Chief of Training & Support Services. He was officially promoted to the position of Deputy Chief in a ceremony on Dec. 30.

At the ceremony, Vinci praised Davidson for his work with the district, calling him a close partner as he led the district through a time of progress that included the reopening of Burton Fire Station 56, increases in staffing made possible in part by federal grants, major upgrades to VIFR’s fleet, and the first stages of a still-ongoing renovation of Fire Station 55, on Bank Road.

In 2024, as well, VIFR established its Mobile Integrated Health service, which serves islanders in their homes, by appointment, with a wide variety of healthcare needs. The program is set to expand to three days a week in early 2025, with the hiring of additional part-time nurses and a physician’s assistant.

Of Davidson’s appointment to Deputy Chief, Vinci said his colleague had earned the promotion.

“His heart is in the island, and the fire department and the safety of the crews — there is nobody more passionate who I’ve come across to advocate for what’s right for this island, what’s right for our crews, and to make sure they have the tools and equipment to get the job done when they go out the doors,” Vinci said. “So it’s a great honor for me to bestow this [promotion.] He is in the best position to step in and be deputy fire chief and continue the great work of this district.”

Davidson, at the ceremony, vowed to continue VIFR’s trajectory of progress and professionalism.

“I want to do what’s best for Vashon Island, for my family, and the firefighters so that every day we can deliver that high level of service to everyone who needs it,” he said. “As the chief moves on to Spokane, I’ll continue to work towards that goal here and help us be better and better as we move forward … We have the roadmap ahead of us, we have the people to do it, and we can be successful in that.”

Davidson singled out the district’s firefighters, several of whom were in attendance at the ceremony, for special thanks.

“Thank you for the work you do when you go out the door, when you get on that rig, you go out and help the community, that’s what it’s all about,” Davidson said. “The level of professionalism that we have these days is impressive. We’ve never operated at this high a level and it’s something I’m very proud of, and I hope you are too.”

Davidson’s rise in the ranks comes at a time when VIFR has posted more emergency calls than ever before its 82-year history. At the board’s December 30 meeting, Vinci reported that the district had responded to 1,230 emergency calls from Station 55 and 666 calls from Burton Station 56.

Vinci also reported a record of 613 ambulance transports in 2024 — a testament, he said, to the increasing needs of Vashon’s community.