Fire Chief

The 1869 City Charter granted the Common Council the authority to appoint or elect officers "to provide for the prevention and extinguishment of fires." A City Charter Amendment in 1875 broadened authority to establish building regulations, organize a Fire Department, purchase fire apparatus, ensure a water supply for fire fighting purposes, and levy taxes to pay for fire protection.

Ordinance 129, passed in 1876, established the position of Fire Warden, whose responsibility was management of the City's fire protection function. Prior to 1889, the City was served by a number of volunteer fire companies. Following the Great Fire of 1889, which destroyed most of Seattle's commercial district, the City created a fully professional Fire Department under the direction of a Fire Chief.