Editorial: VIFR’s future

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 5, 2025

After a lengthy and well-documented search process, Vashon Island Fire & Rescue has selected William McLaughlin, a fire service professional with close to 40 years of experience, to lead the department into the future.

There is no doubt that McLaughlin is a highly qualified and seasoned fire service professional who has much to offer to Vashon. At the same time, we know that many islanders, across social media and in public meetings, have clamored for Interim Fire Chief Ben Davidson to earn the top job.

Like them, we’ve been deeply impressed by his dedication to his community and spirit of collaboration, and we believe he would have been a great choice for the job. So while he won’t be the district’s next fire chief, we hope Davidson will continue serving VIFR and the island in a leadership position.

Simply put: We don’t want to lose him. Vashon needs home-grown heroes such as Davidson. He has our deep gratitude not only for his many years as an island first responder, but also for the strength and leadership he has shown in the past seven months.

In the meantime, the commissioners have made their choice, following a robust search and input from panels they have said reached consensus over the choice of McLaughlin. Now, McLaughlin will be our next fire chief, and he needs the community’s support — and our high expectations — to do the job at the highest level.

We look forward to working with him and covering his tenure.