By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CENTRALIA – Assistant Fire Chief Rick Mack made it plain he doesn’t have his sights set on a promotion with the departure of the chief of Riverside Fire Authority.
Mack, one of two assistant chiefs serving under Jim Walkowski, last night offered a lengthy discourse about the leadership his co-worker, Assistant Chief Mike Kytta, has shown over more than a decade.
His praise came during a gathering with the decision makers, the Centralia area fire department’s board of commissioners. The special meeting was held to talk about what’s next, following Walkowski’s resignation last week. Walkowski was absent, out of town at a conference.
“I believe, based on his demonstrated selflessness, Chief Kytta is the right person for the job,” Mack said told the board. “I’ll continue to serve alongside him as long as you’ll have me.”
Facing a steeply declining budget, the organization has cut firefighter positions and was poised to trim the trio of top officers down to two, when the chief took a position last week in the Spokane area. He will remain at Riverside through the end of this month.
Mack pointed out that 11 years ago, they were two separate agencies; the Centralia Fire Department and its neighbor that protected areas surrounding the city, Lewis County Fire District 12.
It was an idea presented by Kytta, then chief of District 12, to begin working together in ways so, for example, a fire truck the city wouldn’t have to drive all the way west to answer a call across the street from District 12’s station, a truck from District 12 would go instead, Mack described.
It was around the same time, an agreement was put into place with the private ambulance service AMR that allowed the scheduling of two paramedic-staffed ambulances on duty at all times, Mack said, an arrangement he said has worked well.
When Centralia’s fire chief retired, an interim chief was hired who recruited Walkowski to head up the combined organization, Mack went on.
Kytta could have, but didn’t didn’t, seek the top job, Mack indicated.
Kytta didn’t respond directly to the public recommendation, but later indicated he wouldn’t turn it down.
“If they want to talk with me about that, I’d be honored to talk with them,” he said.
The hour long session at the fire station on Harrison Avenue included an appeal from union president Riverside Firefighter Rick LeBoeuf to make clear as quickly as possible who would be chief, and what size next year’s budget would be.
The board heard Kytta lay out some of the issues and challenges he sees. The group spoke of the importance of making sure citizens understand the specifics – sooner rather than later – of why they will ask for a new kind of levy in August.
Board member Mike Tomasheck indicated the board could choose its chief at its next meeting, saying he’s asked for its agenda to include an executive session.
Riverside Fire Authority, which protects a population of 28,000 spanning more than 180 square miles in and around Centralia, last year operated with a budget of $4.6 million. This year it’s $3.9 million.
The primary reason for the reduction is related to the fairly sudden change in taxes contributed by TransAlta’s power plant, as it winds down coal burning operations; changes that will affect all the junior taxing districts in its geographical area.
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For background, read “Centralia area fire department facing lean times” from Sunday April 6, 2014, here
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