Clallam County Fire District 3 has hired Justin Grider, a former volunteer coordinator and current Fire District 2 deputy chief, to serve as its next fire chief.
Fire District 3 commissioners and Grider agreed for him to tentatively start March 1, according to commissioners.
He’ll start the same day as the district’s new finance manager Misty Shaw.
Commissioners said Grider’s and Shaw’s leadership will positively impact the community and organization.
“The board is confident these new leaders are well equipped to successfully navigate the current and future challenges of Clallam County Fire District 3,” board chairman Jeff Nicholas said in a press release.
In an interview, Grider, a Sequim resident, said he made a lot of positive connections while working for Fire District 3.
“They’re just good people and I saw a level of service (by staff and volunteers) provided to the community that just warmed my heart,” he said.
Grider added that working for Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue fed that service-minded part of his soul, too.
“I am leaving an organization that I love for another organization I love,” he said.
“I’m excited for the future.”
District 3 interim fire chief Dan Orr said he feels staffers are excited for Grider to join them.
“I have tremendous faith he will make improvements and continue to make the district better and better into the future,” Orr said.
He said Grider is interested in looking at how local fire districts can partner more.
Grider said it’ll be about taking baby steps, such as sharing a training building, and as things grow and they get more comfortable they’ll see what else they can share that “better serves the people of Clallam County.”
“I’ve been here eight years, and it amazes me the amount of people coming in,” he said.
“Our medics and firefighters are running an exorbitant amount of calls so we need to look at how we can better partner more (with tribes and neighboring agencies) and support (firefighters/medics with new equipment, vehicles and stations).
“Dan and previous chiefs have laid a lot of groundwork.”
Career
Grider first served for Fire District 3 for 18 months as its volunteer coordinator before being hired in November 2019 as Fire District 2’s deputy chief.
Grider said he, his wife and two children moved to Sequim after he retired from the fire service in New Mexico to be closer to his parents. He was looking to stay in the fire service in some capacity and applied for the volunteer coordinator position.
“It fed a large piece of my soul,” he said. “When District 2 was hiring, it was a role I had in New Mexico and I was successful at it, and felt I found a renewed love for the fire district.”
Grider said he grew up in the fire house in La Cueva, N.M. starting around age 8 where his dad was the volunteer fire chief and mom was the dispatcher. He started his fire career with Sandoval County Fire Department as a volunteer and continued with volunteering even after being hired in 1997 with the Los Alamos Fire Department.
Grider was promoted many times and held titles, such as driver engineer, captain, and battalion chief, before retiring as deputy chief in 2016.
He was named New Mexico’s Fire Officer of the Year in 2015.
Fire District 3 commissioners said in a press release that Grider’s “commitment to community safety and extensive background in emergency response make him the ideal candidate to lead District 3 into the future.”
They wrote, “(His) proven track record and dedication to excellence align seamlessly with the district’s mission of safeguarding lives and property.”
Hiring process
Fire District 3 leaders started looking for a new fire chief last year after former fire chief Ben Andrews exercised an option in his contract in April 2023 to work remotely until retiring this year.
Orr, then-assistant chief, took over as interim fire chief.
In November, four finalists — from Bremerton, Pasco, California and Florida — were chosen from a field of 19 recruited by consulting firm Prothman of Issaquah. However, after group interviews and a community meet-and-greet, the top candidate turned down the district’s offer citing family concerns.
Commissioners said for privacy reasons they wouldn’t release his name. They subsequently chose to pause the search.
Commissioner Bill Miano said in an interview that Grider did apply for the position but Prothman did not select him as a finalist. However, commissioners had names of all the candidates and wanted to gauge Grider’s interest because they were familiar with him and he lives in the area.
They met with Grider in executive session during a special meeting on Dec. 24, and offered a contract to him on Jan. 16, Miano said.
Commissioners opted not to go through a large interview process and meet-and-greet, Miano said, because they gleaned enough wants/needs from staff and community members through the November interviews.
“We did this wide search … and a broad spectrum was attracted here,” Miano said.
“We offered an external candidate the job and it didn’t work out, but we knew we had talent in our backyard and we felt he shared the same vision we have here.”
Not being selected a finalist was OK with Grider, he said, because he was happy working with District 2.
“I love this job so much and the people,” he said.
He attended District 3’s meet-and-greet to get a feel for how he could partner with the district’s potential new chief.
Grider said that after District 3 commissioners took an operational pause and later approached him, he felt good about their process, and the candid and open discussion between them about him becoming chief.
“I never aspired to be a chief, but I like doing the work,” he said.
“I do believe in the people who serve, and if they have a commitment to service, I have a commitment to them.”
Orr, who was hired in 2015, will stay on tentatively beyond Grider’s start date to help him acquaint himself with the district, Miano said.
Orr said he plans to stay on for an undetermined amount of time to introduce Grider to community members and leaders, and help him acclimate to the job as long as he needs.
Finance manager
Shaw will take over from Alwynn Whitaker, who has been finance manager for the district eight years.
Shaw was offered the position Jan. 12 with commissioners saying in a press release she brings “a strategic approach to financial management (and has) a solid background in finance and a keen understanding of organizational needs.
“(She) is well-equipped to navigate the financial landscape of the district,” they wrote.
“Her expertise will play a pivotal role in ensuring the district’s fiscal health and sustainability.”
Shaw moves to the area from Texas, where she serves as the City of Granbury’s assistant director of finance.
Clallam County Fire District 3 covers 142 square miles of the Sequim-Dungeness area. Its personnel includes three elected fire commissioners, one fire chief, a deputy chief, 45 firefighters/medics, seven full-time support staff, two part-time support staff, 44 volunteers, and 500-plus active Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members. For more information, visit ccfd3.org.
