Clallam County Fire District 3’s leadership team announced this week that Dan Orr of Santa Maria, Calif., will serve as its newest assistant chief.

He replaces retired Assistant Fire Chief Roger Moeder and will take on a new title as the Assistant Chief of Risk Reduction and Planning beginning Dec. 1.

Orr comes to Sequim after 15 years with the Santa Maria Fire Department including serving as its fire chief since December 2011. Prior to that he started with the Pismo Beach Fire Department in 1985.

Ben Andrews, Clallam County Fire District 3 fire chief, said Orr’s new position is key to the fire department’s success. “His supervision of the risk reduction activities will continue the district’s already strong history of fire prevention and fire safety education, as well as expand into a broader approach of community risk reduction,” Andrews said.

Community risk reduction, he added, is the identification and prioritization of risks followed by the coordinated application of resources to minimize the probability or occurrence and/or the impact of unfortunate events.

Some of Orr’s responsibilities include coordinating the development and maintenance of the district’s plans such as the strategic plan, capital replacement plan, staffing plans and contingency plans.

“His planning responsibilities will aid the district in making prudent, deliberate and fact-based decisions on how to meet the growing demands for emergency services in our community,” Andrews said.

In addition to the risk reduction and planning duties, Orr also will help oversee day-to-day operations of the fire district and will serve on the Duty Chief rotation responding to major incidents.

During the interview process, Andrews said Orr was described by Santa Monica city leaders and fellow firefighters as a “servant leader who puts others before himself.”

Orr is married and they have two children in high school.

He told Santa Monica news outlets that Sequim’s rural nature is something he and his wife were looking for.

For more information about the hiring and/or Clallam County Fire District 3, call 683-4242 or visit www.clallamfire3.org.