SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — The Spokane Valley Fire Department has selected Frank Soto Jr. as its new chief. This offer is pending contract approval by members of the SVFD Board of Fire Commissioners.
Last fall, SVFD Chief Bryan Collins announced his retirement for March of this year.
“Chief Soto Jr. has been a valuable addition to the SVFD team since his arrival last year,” said Collins. “I have great confidence in his ability to continue to lead this agency in the years to come and to build upon the many relationships and successes within the department and our communities that are critical to future success.”
According to SVFD, 17 firefighters applied for the Fire Chief position. After a rigorous review process by representatives of the Board of Fire Commissioners, three finalists were selected to move forward. The final interview process included 3 panels comprised of:
- SVFD Board of Fire Commissioners
- Labor Unions including Local 876, Local 3701 and IAM 751
- Community leaders from the SVFD Fire District
“We are grateful so many qualified applicants were interested in this position,” said Spokane Valley Fire Department Fire Commissioner Chair, Patrick Burch. “It is a testament to the quality-of-service SVFD provides every day. Chief Frank Soto Jr. will be instrumental in continuing this tradition of excellence and service to our community.”
The next SVFD Fire Board of Commissioners meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 24. People can watch live on the SVFD website, Facebook and YouTube pages.