Pullman fire chief to retire, new chief appointed

Pullman Fire Chief Scott LaVielle is retiring from his position at the end of January after serving the city for one year.

In a letter to the city, LaVielle said he regretted his short stay, but said he has “pressing concerns that can only be dealt with in the Seattle area.”

Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson accepted LaVielle’s retirement letter, but said he understood the circumstances that the chief is facing.

LaVielle started serving as the Pullman fire chief on Jan. 30 of last year. His last day be Jan. 31.  Before coming to Pullman, LaVielle was chief of the North Highline Fire District in the Seattle area.

Johnson appointed Operations Chief Mike Heston as the new fire chief of Pullman. The Pullman City Council is scheduled to vote on the decision at its meeting next week.

Heston been with the Pullman Fire Department since October 1996. Previously, he worked with the Washington State University Fire Services.