National News
Seattle Fire Chief Retires After 44 Years with Department
Of The Skanner News
M
ayor
Murray
announced today
that Chief Grego-
ry M. Dean intends to retire
from the Seattle Fire
Department after a distin-
guished 44-year career with
the Seattle Fire Department.
“Chief Dean demonstrat-
ed the highest commitment
in the early days of the new
administration that he was
looking forward to retire-
ment. The mayor asked him
to stay on at least another
year.
Last week, Mayor Murray
again asked Chief Dean to
postpone his departure, but
this time the chief told the
mayor it was time to enjoy a
well-deserved retirement.
He is known throughout the
region for his vision and
commitment to partnerships
with other fire departments
and public safety organizations
to public service over a dis-
tinguished career here at the
City,” said Murray. “We
salute his devotion to the
department and to his fire-
fighters. I wish him the best
in the future, even as I know
I will miss his steady leader-
ship and wise counsel.”
Chief Dean told the mayor
“I consider it an honor and
privilege to have served as
the Fire Chief for the Seattle
Fire Department,” said
Dean. “I leave with confi-
dence that the department is
in good hands with out-
standing leadership and
vision at all levels of the
organization.”
Chief Gregory M. Dean
Chief Dean will continue
to serve in his position until
the end of the year. The
mayor is immediately
launching a search process
to hire a new chief.
Dean entered the Depart-
ment in 1970 as a trainee
firefighter and rose through
the ranks to become Chief
of the Department in 2004.
He served in several senior
leadership positions in the
department, including Fire
Marshal, Assistant Chief of
Administration,
Deputy
Chief of Personnel, and
Deputy Chief of Support
Services.
Under his leadership, the
1,150 member department
has maintained its interna-
tional
reputation
for
emergency medicine and
firefighting operations. He
is known throughout the
region for his vision and
commitment to partnerships
with other fire departments
and public safety organiza-
tions.
During his tenure as Fire
Chief, Dean directed the
implementation of the Fire
Facilities Levy that resulted
in the construction and ren-
ovation of 32 fire stations, a
new Joint Training Facility
and new fireboats.
During the congressional
review of the U.S. military’s
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
policy, Dean testified before
the United States House of
Representatives about how
the department integrated
female and LGBT firefight-
ers into the fire culture.
He also worked with the
Port of Seattle to establish
the cruise ship homeport by
developing a permit process
that allowed safe refueling
of cruise ships on the Cen-
tral Waterfront.
Dean’s career spans land-
mark fires and events that
dramatically altered the
course of the Seattle Fire
Department. In the early
1970’s, the fatal Ozark
Hotel and Seventh Avenue
Apartments fires resulted in
updated fire and building
codes around the nation.
Seattle firefighters began
serving as paramedics that
same decade, saving count-
less lives in years since. The
1995 Pang warehouse fire
killed four Seattle Firefight-
ers, the worst firefighter
fatality incident in the
department’s history. The
2001 Nisqually Earthquake
and the 2010 Fremont fire
that killed four children and
a young woman captured
the nation’s attention.
In the New Year, Dean
will be spending more time
with family, traveling and
improving his golf handi-
cap.
We honor the many
accomplishments of
African Americans.
It is our primary goal as a labor union to
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the building trades through advocacy,
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belief that workers deserve a "family
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A family wage, and the benefits that go
with it, not only strengthens families, but
also allows our communities to become
stronger, more cohesive, and more
responsive to their citizens' needs.
Our family wage agenda reflects our
commitment to people working in the
building trades, and to workers every-
where. In this small way, we are doing
our part to help people achieve the
American Dream. This dream that work-
ers can hold dear regardless of race,
color, national origin, gender, creed, or
religious beliefs.
The Pacific Northwest Regional
Council of Carpenters
Representing more than
5,000 construction
workers in Oregon State
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October 22, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 9