OR Department Hires New Fire Chief

Astoria has a new fire chief.

Dan Crutchfield, the battalion chief of the Coos Bay Fire Department, will take over the job on March 15. Interim Fire Chief Richard Curtis has led the department since September following the retirement of former Fire Chief Ted Ames.

Curtis will stay on through the end of March to help ease the department’s transition. The City Council approved an amendment of a personal services contract with Curtis in January to keep him while the city continued to look for a fire chief.

City Manager Brett Estes had anticipated the fire chief position could be difficult to fill given the unique demands of the job. The city worked with a recruitment agency to find possible candidates.

“Frankly, I really like that he comes from an Oregon coastal community,” Estes said of Crutchfield. “He understands what it’s like to live in this environment.”

He believes Crutchfield will be a good fit for the community and the city. He described Crutchfield as possessing a “can-do” personality and said he is well-respected within the fire department and the city of Coos Bay.

Crutchfield began his firefighting career as a volunteer at 18 and has spent almost 26 years with the Coos Bay Fire Department. He oversaw Coos Bay’s fire prevention program and helped implement a smoke alarm program, which resulted in the installation of 500 free smoke alarms throughout the community.

“The Astoria Fire Department is similar in structure and operation to the Coos Bay Fire Department, so it felt like a comfortable move for me,” Crutchfield said in a statement. “I know a few of the people who work in the Astoria Fire Department, and after meeting (Estes) and (Police Chief) Geoff Spalding, I sensed a really good team atmosphere.”

Among Crutchfield’s priorities when he arrives in Astoria will be to examine what is going well and what can be improved in the department. He will also assist in the search for a new deputy fire chief. Former Deputy Chief Paul Gascoigne retired last fall.

Estes had held off replacing Gascoigne, wanting to give whoever was hired as fire chief the opportunity to build the department.

———

©2019 The Daily Astorian, Ore.

Visit The Daily Astorian, Ore. at www.dailyastorian.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.