Eastside Fire & Rescue is about to see some big changes at the top, most notably the retirement of longtime Chief Lee Soptich.
Soptich, 58, had earlier announced he would leave the position he first took in 2000 at the end of January. His plan now is to leave at the end of November. The fire service also will be losing Deputy Chief Wes Collins and Ingrid Anderson-Boyle, EFR human resources manager. Soptich said all three joined EFR at about the same time and decided they all wanted to leave together. The trio’s last day on the job will be Nov. 30.
Collins was one of the founders of EFR in 1999, Soptich said. Including Anderson-Boyle, the three are among the last people left in the organization since its formation.
“We’re kind of a blended family,” Soptich said.
Soptich is only EFR’s second chief, with the first chief having served for about a year before Soptich took over.
Speaking to the Sammamish City Council on Nov. 10, Deputy Chief Greg Tryon said the EFR board of directors would not have a new chief named by the time Soptich leaves. An interim chief will serve as temporary head of EFR, most likely one of the current deputy chiefs. That person has not yet been chosen.
EFR and consultants the Mercer Group began advertising for a new chief Sept. 21. They had 24 applications by Oct. 14, Tryon said. The consultant narrowed that number down to 12 and there are eight candidates now remaining. The EFR board will further whittle the candidate pool to between three and five. Those finalists will be brought in for extensive interviews in early December, Tryon said.
The new chief will earn $154,00 to $180,000 annually. The original schedule had him or her reporting to work in early February.
The new chief may eventually oversee the first nonprofit emergency service entity in Washington. EFR is looking to gain that designation to help clarify the employment status of EFR staff.