Ryan Fish was named the new chief of the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department at the city's Feb. 18 council meeting.
A crowd of about 20 people, including several from the department, applauded after Fish's appointment was announced by Mayor Paul Townsend, who gave Fish his badge.
"Thank you for stepping up and doing what you do, and what you're going to do for the city," Townsend said.
The fire chief position was opened after Rick Paris retired as chief at the end of 2019 after 23 years in the role.
Fish joined the department in the fall of 1996, and his regular job is in the same field, working as a firefighter and emergency medical technician for the Colville Tribes' Emergency Medical Service.
There are currently 23 members in the department.