After he retired from a career in firefighting this summer, Richard Curtis spent about three weeks on yard and house projects before he decided to go right back to work — this time at the Astoria Fire Department.
Curtis will serve as the department’s interim fire chief as City Manager Brett Estes continues the search for a permanent hire.
The fire chief position has been open since Chief Ted Ames officially retired last November. Ames continued to serve as interim chief through March, when Deputy Chief Paul Gascoigne took over the roll of interim chief until his own retirement last week, not long after Curtis arrived at the station.
The search for a new chief has taken longer than expected, Gascoigne noted in a final report to the Astoria City Council. The city still must replace two other department head positions in Community Development and Parks and Recreation.