Feb. 12--By the end of this month the Yakima Fire Department will have lost a fire chief, deputy fire chief and more than 70 years of combined experience.
Chief Bob Stewart will retire Feb. 28 while Deputy Fire Chief Mark Soptich will retire Feb. 16, according to a city of Yakima news release.
"Chief Stewart and Deputy Chief Soptich have had long and distinguished careers in the fire service," said Yakima City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Carmen Méndez. "The City of Yakima is fortunate to have benefited from their experience and expertise. The City Council, City staff, and the entire Yakima community wish both of them the best in their retirements."
Stewart was named chief in June 2014 after serving as acting chief for six months and many years with the department. The Salem, Ore., native was hired in Yakima in 1988 and during that time promoted to lieutenant, shift captain, training captain and deputy chief before becoming chief.
Soptich has been the department's deputy fire chief since May 2012. Before that, he was fire chief/director of emergency services for the city of Oak Harbor for 23 years. The Selah High School graduate has served as deputy chief of the Selah Fire Department and firefighter/emergency medical technician for the Hanford Fire Department.
City administration is now evaluating how to temporarily fill the two positions as well as what process to use to fill the position permanently.
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