Department Administration
Fire Commissioners
The Board of Fire Commissioners for Fire District 17 is a three member governing body that is responsible for
making the legislative decisions for the fire district and providing oversight of the administrative
operations as authorized by the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Chapter 52.14.
Each Commissioner is voted into office by registered voters who reside in the fire districts jurisdiction and when elected serve a term of 6 years. The terms are staggered to maintain continuity on the board.
Meetings of the Board of Commissioners are bound by RCW 42.30 Open Public Meetings Act and are open to the public.
Commissioners:
Commissioner Bill Gillam (Chairman) was appointed Fire Commissioner in August 2005 to fill an un expired term and was re‐elected to the position in 2006. Bill served as a part‐time firefighter for three years and also volunteered for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Officer prior to being appointed as a Fire Commissioner. Bill is a general manager for a local construction company.
Commissioner Kevin Hayes (Vice Chairman) was elected Fire Commissioner and began serving his term in 2008. Kevin earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix in 2004 and is currently exploring Master’s Degree program opportunities for 2009. Kevin brings 33 years of Fire Service experience to the fire district and is currently serving as a Captain with the Boeing Fire Department where he has been employed since 1979. Kevin also volunteers for the Washington State Fire Department Honor Guard and is the Commander for the Boeing Fire Department Honor Guard. Kevin was a former Reserve Officer for the City of Everett.
Commissioner Eric Johnson was sworn into office on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 and has replaced retiring Commissioner Dean Steinke. Commissioner Johnson’s term runs through 2015. Eric grew up in Southern California, north of Los Angeles and graduated from Canyon High School which was a very rural area. Eric attended College of the Canyons and Antelope Valley Community Colleges pursuing a fabrication trade that included engineering fundamentals, welding technology and blueprint reading in hopes of becoming a commercial diver. Eric came to Washington in 1991 to attend Divers Institute Technology to become an underwater welder. Eric had always known that he wanted to have a career in the fire service and after several years of testing was successful in 1998 with the Seattle Fire Department. In 2002 Eric and wife Ambra moved to Granite Falls.