Three members of the South Kitsap Fire and Rescue were promoted within the ranks of the department during a June 3 ceremony.
Steve Wright was promoted to fire chief, Guy Dalrymple to deputy chief and Jeff Faucett as battalion chief. The ceremony was conducted at the Kitsap Readiness Response Center, 1211 Carver St., Bremerton.
Wright replaces former Fire Chief Wayne Senter who was appointed by the board of directors as new executive director for the Washington Fire Chiefs.
Senter, who replaced Mike Brown, began his new job on Jan. 1. Brown, a former South Kitsap fire chief, announced his retirement in September and served as executive director since 2005.
Steve Wright
Wright, 51, officially assumed the fire chief’s post on Jan. 1. He said his initial goal is to maintain what SKFR has accomplished and provide direction for the challenges facing the department.
“One of the more significant issues is the financial stability of our organization and the impacts the recession has had on our agency since 2008,” Wright said. “Determining the best path for maintaining the level of service in our community and providing the needed tools, equipment and operating expenses for the agency.”
Wright said with the Urban Growth Area and growth management plans applied, SKFR has a good understanding of where growth will happen and the infrastructure needed for it.
“It’s just the timing of it and how the growth will impact our response demands and our tax revenue,” Wright said.
He said, at this time, no major changes are planned other than the typical setting up of his staff and developing a strategic plan to deal with the department’s financial situation.
The 1981 Curtis High School graduate has been a Kitsap County resident for 27 years. He was hired by Kitsap County Fire District 7 as a firefighter/EMT in 1986.
After three years as a firefighter, Wright was promoted to lieutenant in 1990 — a position he held for 14 years. He was named battalion chief in 2004. He served as the district medical officer for one year before being transferred back to the line as a shift battalion chief for three years.
Wright was promoted to deputy chief in July 2009.
During his career, Wright continued his education. He earned an associate’s degree in arts and science from Pierce College in Lakewood, along with a bachelor’s degree in workforce education and development from Southern Illinois University. He also has an associate’s degree in fire command administration from Olympic College.
Wright has attended numerous National Fire Academy courses and in 2013 completed the four-year Executive Fire Officer Program in Maryland.
He was a recipient of the Outstanding Research Award from the U.S. Fire Administration and National Fire Academy in 2011 for his applied research project. Wright also received his Chief Fire Officer Designation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence and serves as a board member for the Washington Fire Chiefs Association.
Wright, who grew up in University Place, has lived in Olalla with his wife, Katie, and four children since 1992. He is a lifelong Boy Scout and Eagle Scout — the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program and serves as a scout leader for BSA Troop 1529 in Port Orchard.
Guy Dalrymple
Dalrymple has been working in fire service since 1990 when he started out as a resident firefighter with the Kitsap County Fire District 7. He later became a a firefighter/EMT with the SeaTac Fire Department in 1991.
In 1995, Dalrymple returned to Kitsap County as a lieutenant and helped establish fire stations in Banner and Glenwood. He was promoted to battalion chief in 2008 with primary responsibility for technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and fire apparatus.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be trusted by the board of commissioners with the responsibility of becoming the deputy fire chief,” Dalrymple said.
Dalrymple, 49, served in the Army Reserve, then spent six years in the U.S. Navy where he obtained the rank of petty officer first-class onboard the USS Nimitz.
He eared an associate’s degree in fire command administration from Bellevue College and a bachelor’s degree in fire administration from Eastern Oregon University. Dalrymple’s undergraduate studies included bio-chemistry and law enforcement, along with attending numerous classes at the National Fire Academy and is enrolled in the Executive Fire Officer Program.
Dalrymple was born in La Mirada, Calif., but moved to Ontario, Canada, at age 12. He graduated from Saint Mary’s College School in 1982 and attended Lake Superior State University in Michigan for two years before joining the US Navy. He moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1987.
He and his wife, Mary, have two children. He is active in his community through his church. Dalrymple also served on the socal school board and the National Ski Patrol at Snoqualmie Pass.
Jeff Faucett
“I look forward to working with the fire department in my new role,” Faucett said. “This has definitely been a dream come true for me.”
Faucett has a long history with SKFR and followed in his father’s footsteps. His father, Gary Faucett, served 34 years in fire service.
He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, then moved to Belfair when he was a year old. Faucett graduated from North Mason High School in 1993.
At age 18, he was a volunteer firefighter with Kitsap County Fire District 7 in 1992. He became a career firefighter in 1998 with SKDR with his father.
“I was given the opportunity to work in the same department as my dad,” Faucett said. “It was fun to work with the same firefighters as he worked with for many years prior to me. We are a big family, and it was and is a lot of fun.”
Faucett was promoted to lieutenant in 2005 and has focused on intergrating technology in today’s fire service.
In 1995, he graduated from the Washington State Fire Academy. Faucett earned his associate’s degree in fire science in 2004 and a bachelor’s degree in fire administration in 2010. He is enrolled in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program and attended several classes at the National Fire Academy.
Faucett, 39, received the Fire Officer Designation for the Commission on Public Safety Excellence in 2013.
He has served as vice president and treasurer for South Kitsap Professional Firefighters, Local 2876.
Faucett and his wife, Fawnda, have two daughters and a son. He and his family are involved in church and community activities.
