Alaska’s capital city will soon have a new fire chief.
The City and Borough of Juneau named Thomas Hatley as Capital City Fire/Rescue’s new fire chief on Friday afternoon. His first day will be Feb. 9.
He was one of the two finalists for the position to replace longtime fire chief Rich Etheridge, who retired at the end of December after more than 15 years leading the department.
Hatley served as the deputy chief for the Spokane Valley Fire Department in Washington until April of this year, when he left due to a family medical reason. He has more than three decades of experience in fire service, holding positions like fire chief, assistant chief and fire marshal at multiple agencies in the Northwest.
During a public candidate presentation in Juneau in December, Hatley said he was drawn to the position because of the complexities of Juneau’s fire and emergency medical services needs. He pointed to its lack of outside support, large service area and seasonal population surges.
Hatley said he wanted to see the department focus on resolving its staffing issues, especially by retaining the department’s employees. The Juneau Career Firefighters Union is currently at an impasse in its negotiations over a new contract with the city. Union representatives say uncompetitive wages and staffing shortages are driving people away from the department.
The annual salary listed on the city’s website for the position is between $125,944 and $161,761.
Cindy Carte, the city’s human resources manager, is currently serving as acting chief.
