LYNNWOOD — A new fire chief is set to start work on Sept. 29.
Scott Cockrum, 49, is joining the city from a post as deputy chief at the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
Cockrum has been a firefighter 25 years and watched his small department grow through mergers into an agency with 40 fire stations, he said.
He has experience in hazardous materials, arson investigation and aviation.
Cockrum and his wife, Charlene, are looking forward to being part of a smaller community in Lynnwood, he said. The couple have two sons in their 20s.
Cockrum wanted a job where the fire chief still could work closely with neighbors and community groups and stay active in operations with front-line staff, he said.
Outside of firefighting, his hobby in California was volunteering as a reserve sheriff’s deputy in Sacramento County.
The former Lynnwood fire chief retired in 2011, and the deputy chiefs have been taking turns serving as interim chief. Lynnwood has 60 firefighters serving a population of about 36,000. The crews respond to 6,700 incidents a year, mostly medical emergencies.
Cockrum’s salary will be $140,483.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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