GCFD 8 looking for assistant chief
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months AGO
Grant County Fire District 8, based in Mattawa, is looking for an assistant fire chief.
FILE PHOTO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | December 2, 2025 4:30 PM
MATTAWA — Applications will be accepted through Friday for the assistant chief job at Grant County Fire District 8, with the first round of interviews scheduled for Dec. 15. Barb Davis, GCFD 8 business manager, said the district hasn’t had an assistant chief for a long time.
“It’s kind of a new position,” Davis said.
The assistant chief will take over some of the jobs now split between Davis and GCFD 8 Chief Matt Hyndman.
“(The assistant chief) will be in charge of day-to-day operations,” Davis said.
Along with that, the assistant chief will supervise training. The district will be constructing a new shop in 2026 and hiring a mechanic, and the assistant chief will oversee that department too, Davis said.
Fire District 8 has grown over time, and the administrative jobs have expanded to the point where it would be beneficial to have an assistant chief, Davis said.
‘We talked about (adding the position) this year, but the budget just wouldn’t handle it,” Davis said.
The district’s policies limit the percentage of its budget that can be spent on salaries, she said.
Fire District 8 has six paid firefighters, two volunteers serving as battalion chiefs and about 30 volunteers.
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