Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Gregory Rudolph is sworn in Oct. 1 as Mason County Fire District 4 chief.
Mason County Fire District 4 welcomed new fire chief Gregory Rudolph in October.
"It's exciting, it's a good challenge," Rudolph told the Journal. "I'm enjoying my time here so far."
Fire District 4 covers the southeast corner of Mason County, from Arcadia Road south county line and west to the county line on state Route 108.
Rudolph, 49, took over from Bob Burbridge, who retired in April. Before becoming fire chief, he was the assistant chief at Griffin Fire Department for two years in Thurston County Fire Protection District 13, which covers Steamboat Island and the northwest corner of the county to the Mason County line.
Prior to that, he was with the Montesano Fire Department as a captain and paramedic for 12 years. Rudolph was with Camano Island Fire and Rescue for four years, giving him about 18 years of experience in firefighting.
Rudolph said he's always had an interest in firefighting growing up in Edmonds and Lynnwood in Snohomish County.
"I joined the military at 19, joined the Navy, spent 10 years in the Navy, but even prior to interest in joining the fire service, I always knew when I got out of the Navy, that I would find my way into the fire service," Rudolph said. "No greater job or career given the ability that people put all of their trust and their faith in you, it's a pretty special opportunity and I've been lucky enough to be doing it for a number of years."
He said he enjoys Mason County, including the outdoor recreation opportunities crated by the Olympic Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Rudolph said becoming fire chief at Fire District 4 was a natural progression of his career.
"(I was) always kind of looking to move forward and share knowledge and experience with the next place, with the next generation of firefighters," Rudolph said. "That's one reason I stuck with combination and volunteer fire departments is so I can help foster and develop the next generation of firefighters."
The voters passed a property tax levy for Fire District 4 in August, receiving 62.57% "yes" votes of 2,471 voters.
He said the job has been busy, the crews have been great and everyone has been welcoming.
Rudolph said he's less than 90 days in and is in the evaluation period as fire chief.
"Seeing how things operate, seeing how things can be changed," Rudolph said. "Obviously, for any fire chief, it's to have sustainability, not only operationally, but financially also. That's one of the big concerns."
For more information about Mason County Fire District 4, visit http://www.masonfire4.com.
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