A former chief who took the helm of Central Pierce Fire & Rescue while the district searched for a permanent replacement has retired a second time, leaving the fourth-largest department in the state without a chief.
Jack Andren was brought back in September 2015 to replace Chief Kenneth Wright, who abruptly stepped down for fear the board of commissioners would oust him.
Andren re-entered retirement July 31 after giving the board two weeks’ notice.
The board decided not to appoint an interim chief and instead asked the two deputy chiefs to report directly to commissioners.
A meeting is scheduled for Aug. 15 to decide how to proceed with finding a new chief.
“You don’t just run down to Walmart and find a new chief,” chairman Bob Willis said. “It’s going to be ongoing.”
The fire district serves about 200,000 people in communities from Parkland to Puyallup.
Officials could not explain why the search for a permanent chief was never launched 11 months ago after Wright stepped down and Andren came back in an interim capacity.