Joel Medina was selected to be the new fire chief of Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) following a nationwide search. Medina started with the district Dec. 21 and is filling a gap the district has had since the dissolution of the intergovernmental agreement with Scappoose Fire District in July. Eric Smythe has served as interim fire chief for the last six months while the selection process was underway. Chief Medina has 15 years of experience as a chief officer and brings over 26 years of experience and leadership in the fire profession overall. He served as fire chief for the Tuequesta Fire and Rescue in Florisa for two years, and was with the city of Hollywood Fire Rescue & Beach Safety Department in Florida for 12 years. He started as a firefighter/paramedic and worked his way up the ranks, becoming division chief.