GCFD 13 promotes three to command positions
From left to right: Grant County Fire District 13 Fire Chief Jim Stuckey, Hannah De Hoog, Cpt. Justin De Hoog, Devin Elvin, Battalion Chief Mathew Meulman, Amy Blair, Cpt. Dakota Blair and Assistant Chief Todd Huffman during last week’s promotion ceremony at the fire station.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
EPHRATA — Grant County Fire District 13’s command staff looks a bit different than it did a week ago after a badge-pinning ceremony that promoted two firefighters to captains and one to battalion chief last week.
During the evening’s celebration, which included the promoted firefighters’ significant others, Mathew Meulman was promoted to battalion chief while Dakota Blair and Justin DeHoog were both promoted to captain. Stuckey said all three had worked hard to earn their positions and had been promoted as other volunteers’ personal lives took them in other directions. The former battalion chief had decided to go back to school to be a teacher and one of the other captains had gotten busy with his full-time job.
“I promoted (now former) Cpt. Mathew Meulman to the battalion chief position (and as) training officer,” Stuckey said. “So that left two captain positions out of four of our applicants.”
Stuckey said each of the promoted firefighters had not only passed the tests to get to their rank, but had proven themselves as dedicated staff members. GCFD 13 has 25 positions — mostly volunteer — including firefighters, command staff and admin staff.
GCFD 13 will participate in a Touch a Truck event at SplashZone from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 11. Admission to the event is free and the public is invited to attend for music and fun activities for children. Emergency vehicles, construction equipment, military vehicles and others will be on hand for people of all ages to learn about and enjoy.