New Skyway Fire Chief Leaves Everett To Return Home

SKYWAY, WA - King County Fire District 20's new chief is returning to his old stomping grounds. Eric Hicks was chosen by fire commissioners this week to lead the Skyway fire department following the resignation of chief Joseph Clow in January. Hicks' first job as a firefighter was in Skyway in the early 1990s.

"[It's] truly a blessing with emotions running high," Hicks said in a statement. "The memories I have as a young firefighter in the early 90s in Skyway were good times. Now I get to help protect the citizens of West Hill once again.”

Most recently, Hicks was the Everett fire chief, and was the first African American to lead that department. He began working in Everett in 1999 and served as the fire marshal and as a deputy chief. Hicks notified the Everett fire department that he was entertaining the offer to become the Skyway chief; he had been appointed Everett chief in November 2016.

Hicks is a graduate of Renton High School, and began his career as a volunteer firefighter before being hired full-time in 1994 by KCFD 20.

Clow resigned in January to move closer to family. He had been fire chief since 2015.

"My resignation is only based on an opportunity to move closer to family and not on any factor related to my position and the operation of KCFD 20," he said at the time in a resignation letter.

KCFD 20 covers the unincorporated area between Renton, Seattle, and Tukwila between Lake Washington and the Duwamish River. The department often assists Seattle and Renton fire in the area, however.

Image via KCFD 20