Hanford nuclear reservation’s fire chief dies

The Hanford fire chief has died, Mission Support Alliance told employees on Monday.

Norb Kuhman had served as fire chief since coming to the Hanford nuclear reservation six and a half years ago.

“Norb was always a gentleman and looked at life with optimism and a smile, and he will be greatly missed,” said Mission Support Alliance President Bob Wilkinson and Chief Operations Officer Amy Basche.

Mission Support Alliance is the Department of Energy contractor responsible for Hanford site fire services.

Kuhman had more than 40 years experience in fire protection and in emergency medical and management services to large government organizations.

Previously he worked for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral and for the Department of Defense as a firefighter at the Navy submarine base in Bangor, Wash.

Friends posted on Facebook that he had been recently diagnosed with cancer.

Deputy Fire Chief Adam Moldovan has been named the acting fire chief for the Hanford Fire Department.