Bob Eastman was sworn in as fire chief of South County Fire during the regional fire authority’s board of commissioners meeting Tuesday night.
Eastman previously served as assistant chief. He replaces Fire Chief Thad Hovis, who will serve as a transitional consultant until his retirement on July 1.
“The board thanks Chief Hovis for his leadership and many years of service to the community,” Board Chair Jim Kenny said. “Chief Eastman has big shoes to fill, but he is up to the task of trying to match Chief Hovis’ contributions to community safety.”
Eastman will serve as chief executive for the largest fire agency in Snohomish County. The regional fire authority has a staff of more than 350 firefighters and serves more than 300,000 people in Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Mill Creek and southwest Snohomish County.