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Chief Walkowski hired by Spokane area fire department

 By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The chief of the largest fire department in Lewis County has taken a job near Spokane, just four months after the adoption of a shrinking budget necessitating layoffs of firefighters here.

Riverside Fire Authority Chief Jim Walkowski arrived to Centralia eight years ago as the city department was expanding and merging with its neighboring district and will take a post next month as an assistant chief with another growing fire agency.

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Chief Jim Walkowski

Spokane County Fire District 9 based in Mead is a mid-sized suburban district with more than twice as many personnel, according to its chief.

SCFD9 Chief Jack Cates announced the new hire yesterday on their Facebook page, saying Walkowski will join them on May 1.

He was one of four finalists for the position, when Cates conducted interviews early last week.

In December, Walkowski announced an abrupt and large drop in revenue coming from a massive decrease in the assessed value of TransAlta’s power plant – and the taxes they contribute locally –  in anticipation of its 2020 closure. He said the change would likely lead to cutting up to five personnel. Some have already been let go.

The organization which protects about 180 square miles was operating with 27 firefighters, several of whom are paramedics as well, along with its volunteers.

SCFD9 employs 65 firefighters and just hired four more. It has about 100 volunteers, according to Cates. It protects about 120 square miles and a population of about 40,000, he said.

The move leaves the Chehalis Fire Department without a chief as well; Walkowski a year ago took on the halftime position after its Chief Kelvin Johnson retired.

Riverside has a budget this year of about $3.9 million compared with last year’s roughly $4.6 million.

Walkowski said in December the department previously understood the Washington State Department of Revenue would be depreciating the value of TransAlta more gradually, over an eight or nine year period, but learned of the faster rate. The expected loss in revenue to Riverside is $800,000 to $1,200,000, according to the chief.

A Bainbridge Island native, Walkowski began his firefighting career there in 1991, and eventually moved up to become chief. He took a $12,000 a year pay cut to make the move to Centralia in May 2006.