New Fire Commissioner Sworn in at Monday's Meeting

Gerry Vucci was sworn in as fire commissioner for Woodinville Fire & Rescue, filling the seat vacated when Commissioner for health reasons.

After interviewing five candidates at the Monday, Aug. 1 meeting, the board of commissioners voted unanimously for Vucci, after conferring for about 45 minutes in executive session.

Vucci has a long history of volunteering for fire departments. Before moving to Woodinville in the late 1990s, he was a volunteer fire fighter in Santa Ana, California.

After moving to Woodinville, he started volunteering for the fire district’s Fire Explorer, eventually becoming leader of that organization, according to David Weed, community services officer for the district.

Vucci was also instrumental in enhancing the fire district’s rehab program. Under  state law, when firefighters empty one oxygen tank while fighting a fire they have to stop and drink, eat something and have be medically cleared before returning to fight the fire.

“Gerry took that over and really improved the program, having the Explorers man a reserve aid truck where the firefighters could really get rehab. Before Gerry, it was really just handing out bottles of water to the firefighters,” Weed said.

Vucci said he is undaunted by the tensions between the and .

“It’s like I said in the interview, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. There are some tough decisions to make and you can’t make emotional decisions,” he said after Monday’s meeting

 Vucci will serve the remainder of Ransom’s term which will be up in 2013.