LAKE STEVENS — Snohomish County Fire District 8 has severed ties with its fire chief, but no one has said exactly why.
Gary Faucett was fired Thursday following a vote by the three-member district board during a special meeting.
“The motion was to terminate without cause,” fire commissioner Vern Foster said Tuesday.
The vote was 2-0. Foster said he abstained.
“I wasn’t at the same place in my mind as far as options,” Foster said. “I wasn’t ready to vote for that. I thought, ‘Let’s give it more time and explore some things.’ There was a majority feeling that we were not going to change anything.”
Foster said a “no cause” clause in Faucett’s contract allowed the board to terminate the contract without specified reasons.
An official statement came out Tuesday night, after calls from The Herald.
“Members of Lake Stevens Fire wish Chief Faucett well in his future endeavors and appreciate the remarkable progress the department has made over the last (five and a half) years under his leadership,” the statement read. “His 31-plus years in fire service is quite a legacy.”
The board called Faucett while he was on vacation last week to let him know of the decision, Deputy Chief Dave Lingenfelter said Tuesday.
“The board felt it wanted to go into a different direction, and that’s the course they took,” he said.
Lingenfelter is serving as interim chief.
Fire District 8 is the fifth largest fire department in Snohomish County. Faucett began as chief there in April 2005.
For more than 25 years, he worked for South Kitsap Fire and Rescue. He had been the deputy chief of operations for several years before coming to Lake Stevens.
At the time of his hiring, Faucett said his role was to create a vision for the future. He said he wanted a department with open communication and a staff that was prepared for the future.
District leaders then said he was chosen in large part for his team-building skills and his experience in working with neighboring fire departments.
Foster said Faucett was well-liked by many people in the community.
“The bottom line is it was time for a change and that’s how the majority went,” Foster said.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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