(The Center Square) – The city of Vancouver, Wash., has appointed veteran fire service leader John L. Drake II as its new permanent fire chief, citing his decades of experience overseeing large metropolitan emergency operations.
Drake most recently served as chief deputy of emergency operations and acting fire chief for the Los Angeles City Fire Department before retiring. He brings more than 38 years of experience in fire and emergency services, including directing large-scale emergency operations, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and leading more than 3,400 personnel in Los Angeles.
That experience comes as Vancouver’s emergency service demands continue to grow. The city now serves a population comparable to Washington’s second-largest city, Spokane, with emergency calls increasing by an average of 5.8% annually over the past five years. According to the city budget, the fire department responds to 38,459 calls from 11 permanent stations. With 241 full-time firefighters, the department operates at roughly 0.8 firefighters per 1,000 residents…