When a call came in for volunteer firefighters of the Federal Way Fire Department in the 1970s, you could count on Bill Brand to arrive within minutes, quickly pulling up outside of the fire station in his little yellow truck.
William “Bill” Brand, a longtime Federal Way resident, died May 12 from health complications with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Brand celebrated his 90th birthday just a few days prior on May 9.
He spent 10 years as a volunteer firefighter in the 1970s. Fellow volunteers said Brand’s unfailing commitment to the community and his family left an honorable legacy.
Chuck Kahler, a retired former fire chief of South King Fire, spent 47 years in the fire service before retiring in 2017. His career began a few years after Brand joined the department.