Kennewick ousted fire chief for performance issues. New chief may be hired this month

A pick for a new Kennewick fire chief could come by the end of the month — nearly four months after the controversial ouster of longtime former Chief Vince Beasley.

The schedule set out for the search calls for having a selection in January, but city officials and the Western Fire Chiefs Association aren’t rushing the process, said city spokeswoman Evelyn Lusignan.

The association’s executive recruiting arm began hunting for a replacement in September after former Kennewick Fire Chief Vince Beasley lost his job. The association has helped departments across the West, including Pendleton, Bend and Spokane.

“This has been a good process so far, resulting in several highly qualified candidates,” Lusignan said. “There is some additional vetting and potential site visits to the top candidates’ current employers.”

City officials aren’t ready to announce any candidate names or who they may have picked as finalists.

The new chief is expected to have a fire administration or fire science degree, at least 10 years of firefighting experience and at least three years of supervisory experience.

The chief will earn $122,000 to $171,000 a year.

Beasley was the sixth-highest paid city employee, with a salary of nearly $171, 200 in 2019, up from $164,300 in 2018. That compared to the city manager at $190,000, police chief at $175,000, public works director at $167,000, human resources director at $167,000 and city attorney at $167,000.

The new chief will take over the largest fie department in the Tri-Cities.

Kennewick firefighters responded to nearly 9,990 calls in 2018. Most of those were for trauma and medical emergencies. More than 75 firefighters in five stations work for the department.

Beasley, city at odds

The longtime Kennewick fire official left the city in September after a controversial exchange of release public statements the weekend of Sept. 21.

City Manager Marie Mosley tried to address rumors he was leaving by sending a message to fire department employees saying the city was discussing retirement options with the chief.

Beasley responded with a news release accusing the city of trying to fire him, and that he didn’t intend to retire.

Then, city officials announced Beasley “effectively retired” by releasing that statement. Police Chief Ken Hohenberg was asked to head the department while the city searches for a new chief.

City leaders said the police chief, who also serves as deputy city manager, and the fire department leadership team have put the department in an excellent position.

Beasley called the city’s decision an “injustice” after his 37 years with the department, and some citizens protested to the city council.

Firefighter union members sided with the city manager, saying they believe there were leadership and performance issues.

This story was originally published January 4, 2020 at 4:54 PM.