PORT TOWNSEND – The county’s fire chiefs sounded an alarm before Jefferson County commissioners Monday that the county needs a separate – not shared – fire marshal.
The position is currently held by Al Scalf, whose primary role is director of the county Department of Community Development – which generally focuses on land use and planning, not fire safety.
“Right now, it’s not working very well with Al . . . being the fire marshal,” said Bob Wilson, chief of the Quilcene and Discovery Bay fire departments.
He and other chiefs of fire protection districts appeared during a hearing Monday on the county’s proposed 2008 budget, in which commissioners would have to include funding for a separate fire marshal.
The budget is still in the preliminary stage.
Wilson noted that Scalf is overburdened with his duties as community development director and can’t devote adequate time to fire marshal duties.
