Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer
Monday, November 20, 2017 at 1:49 p.m.
Trisha Wolford has been selected as the Assistant Fire Chief for the Spokane Fire Department (SFD). The Assistant Chief serves as a key leader in the department assisting the Fire Chief in planning, coordinating and administering the activities of the organization. She will begin on December 27.
“After an extensive recruitment process and receiving positive feedback from the interview committees—which included community members, City of Spokane executives, SFD leadership and representation from IAFF Local 29—Trisha became the clear choice,” says Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer. “Her fire service, emergency medical service and investigative background combined with her strategic planning skills will be an enormous asset to our department and community.”
“Spokane is a beautiful and diverse city that boasts a Fire Department with a long history of serving the citizens and visitors in the community,” says Wolford. “I can't think of a better place to support the efforts of our firefighters, leaders and city officials. I look forward to being a part of this vibrant community and working alongside the men and women of the Spokane Fire Department.“
Wolford joins SFD from the Bozeman Fire Department where she held the position of Deputy Fire Chief since December 2015. She was responsible for the operations and activities of the Fire Investigation Division, Community Risk Reduction Division, Emergency Medical Services and Fire and Life Safety Inspection Program. The Bozeman Fire Department serves more than 46,000 residents and 16,440 Montana State University students from three fire stations.
Prior to her work at the Bozeman Fire Department, Wolford worked for the Anne Arundel County Maryland Fire Department as firefighter/paramedic prior to promoting to a lieutenant. After completing extensive training at the Anne Arundel County Police Academy she was assigned to the Arson and Explosives Unit of the Fire Marshal Division. With an annual call volume of approximately 76,000 incidents, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department serves 560,133 residents from 31 fire stations.
Wolford received her Bachelor’s Degree from Shepherd University and is currently completing a Master’s Degree in Management and Leadership. This week, she will complete the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy. She holds numerous licenses and certifications including Chief Fire Officer, Fire Marshal, and Paramedic. Wolford is currently a cohort member in the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Fire Service Executive Development Institute. She is a member of the IAFC Professional Development Committee and IAFC Human Relations Committee. In October, Wolford was appointed Director-at-Large for the Western Division of the IAFC Executive Fire Officers Section.
