Valley fire approves budget, includes chaplaincy program

The Spokane Valley Fire Department’s 2006 budget includes a Public Information Officer/Public Education Officer and a chaplaincy program.

The chaplain, who hasn’t been selected yet, will respond to anything that happens within the fire department, such as a co-worker’s death, and any major incident in the field, such as a fatal crash, Spokane Valley Fire Department spokesman Bill Clifford said.

A chaplain hasn’t been available through the department since the late 1980s.

Clifford has been assigned to the PIO/PEO position in addition to his duties as a fire inspector. The position was assigned out of the fire prevention division, which is overseen by newly appointed Fire Marshall, Kevin Miller.

Clifford has been with Spokane Valley Department for about a year and a half, he said. He was previously the fire chief at the Millwood Fire Department for 10 years. He’s been in the fire service about 16 years.

The public education part of the position will include bringing new elements to the fire safety program, while also enhancing fire prevention tools such as the fire safety house – a miniature house used to teach children how to identify fire hazards inside a home – and improving activities during Fire Prevention Week in October.

Clifford also will be creating more and better materials, such as safety brochures and pamphlets, to make available to the public, he said. He also is responsible for coming up with new programs to teach fire safety.

As the PIO, Clifford will be the fire department’s voice for the news media.

Spokane Valley Fire Department’s 2006 budget of $20.1 million was approved Monday and is a 5 percent increase over last year’s budget. In addition to the aforementioned positions, the budget also includes equipment repairs, purchase of new fire vehicles and a variety of equipment to aid firefighters in their work.