The mood in the Airway Heights City Council chamber was celebratory at the council’s April 1 meeting, and not because of April Fool’s Day. The sole agenda item for the evening was the swearing in of the fire department’s new deputy chief of training Julius “Chooch” Vanis III, replacing former training chief Alex Turner who accepted a position with Spokane County Fire District 3 earlier this year.
Airway Heights Fire Chief Mitch Metzger took the lead at the swearing-in ceremony, describing the rigorous interview process candidates had gone through when applying for the position. Eighteen candidates from as far as Wisconsin and Indiana applied, with the top 12 coming to Washington for an in-depth skills assessment that involved creating and teaching a lesson plan.
Applicants were also required to teach a lesson on a subject not related to firefighting.
“I feel that any firefighter worth their salt could teach a firefighting topic,” Metzger told meeting attendees. “So this year the lesson they taught was ‘how to back up a trailer’ and in the past we’ve done things like ‘how to paint your fingernails.’”
About 19 people were involved in the hiring process, with the top three candidates being invited back for a long follow-up interview with Metzger. At the end of the long process, city officials selected Vanis, who goes by the family nickname “Chooch.”
Vanis has been in the fire service since he was 16 years old, service as a volunteer for more than 30 years. He and his family hail from Pleasant Hill, Ore., just south of Eugene.
Vanis grew visibly emotional as his wife and daughters pinned on his new badge, and told councilmembers he was excited and honored to take on the new responsibility.
Shannen Talbot can be reached at shannen@cheneyfreepress.com.
Reader Comments(0)