Mercer Island to separate its police, fire departments
The Seattle Times
April 15, 2006 Saturday
Fourth Edition
Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau
After 31 years as a combined unit, Mercer Island’s public-safety department will split into separate fire and law-enforcement departments on June 1.
The split coincides with the retirement of longtime Public Safety Director Ron Elsoe.
Police Commander Ed Holmes will serve as the city’s new police chief, and Fire Commander Walt Mauldin will become fire chief. The change is largely administrative, designed to increase efficiency and improve communication, Elsoe said. A new position of deputy fire chief will head up the city’s emergency-management program.
Residents will see no decline in service or additional cost, Elsoe said.
The two departments were combined in 1975 with the goals of increasing efficiency between the two departments and reducing the number of management positions, Mauldin said.
The original goals were met: Some management positions were cut and a bond developed between the fire and law-enforcement departments.
But hiring directors with both a fire and law-enforcement background able to serve both departments proved to be a challenge.
“Having come up with a police background, my fire knowledge was limited I didn’t have the technical knowledge a normal fire chief would have,” Elsoe said.
Elsoe, who served as director for more than three years, recommended the change.
Elsoe, Mauldin and Holmes said they believe both departments will be better served with the new system.
Mauldin and Holmes, who will each lead roughly 30 people in their respective departments, plan to continue the tie between law enforcement and fire by holding joint staff meetings and training sessions, they said.
Elsoe has been with the department since 1972. Before serving as public-safety director, he was the police commander for 18 years.
Under Elsoe’s watch, the public-safety department made some significant technological improvements, including the addition of computers in all police and fire vehicles, he said.
He also contracted out the dispatch system, improved equipment and training programs and put an emphasis on the development of future leaders.
“Ron has been a mentor of mine and a great leader,” Holmes said. “Walt and I have some big shoes to fill.”
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