VIFR chief resigns, retires amid investigation
Published 11:30 am Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Vashon Island Fire & Rescue Chief Bill McLaughlin has resigned and is retiring from the fire service after being placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, less than a year after taking over the department.
McLaughlin confirmed his resignation and retirement to The Beachcomber but declined to comment further on the investigation.
“He is a good man with a good heart, and I am very sorry to see him go,” board Chair Brigitte Schran-Brown said. “The board will meet to figure out the next steps and what is best to move our island forward and continue taking care of our community.”
The district’s board of commissioners unanimously voted at a June 29 special meeting to place McLaughlin on leave, Schran-Brown said. The leave took effect June 30, when McLaughlin was notified of the decision.
The entirety of the special meeting, with the exception of the vote to place McLaughlin on leave, took place in an executive session that was closed to the public.
Schran-Brown said the investigation is being conducted under the supervision of the district’s legal counsel. The nature of the investigation and the reason McLaughlin was placed on leave have not been made public.
“Per our attorney, we cannot discuss this further at this time,” Schran-Brown said.
Commissioners are expected to discuss the situation and provide more information at the board’s next regular meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, at the Penny Farcy Memorial Training Center, 10019 S.W. Bank Road. The hybrid meeting is open to the public.
Following McLaughlin’s departure, Deputy Chief Ben Davidson, a lifelong islander and longtime member of the department, is leading the agency, Schran-Brown said.
Davidson said VIFR personnel remain focused on serving the community despite the department’s current challenges.
“We have an awesome team that cares deeply about the work we do and the people we serve,” Davidson said. “Our members remain focused, professional and committed to providing the highest level of service to the Vashon community.”
Davidson declined to comment on McLaughlin’s resignation or the investigation.
It is Davidson’s second time leading the department on an interim basis. He served as interim chief for more than seven months after former Chief Matt Vinci left VIFR in January 2025 to lead a fire district in Spokane County.
Davidson joined VIFR as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in 2008 and later rose through the department’s ranks, serving as a firefighter, union leader, captain, division chief and deputy chief.
He was also among four finalists considered for the permanent chief position last summer and received significant public support from island leaders. Commissioners ultimately selected McLaughlin following a national search, saying his decades of leadership experience and record of mentorship could help stabilize the department and prepare Davidson to lead it in the future.
McLaughlin began serving as VIFR’s chief in September 2025, bringing nearly four decades of fire service experience to the island. His previous leadership positions included serving as chief of departments in Washington, Colorado and Idaho, as well as teaching courses on wildland-urban interface fires at the National Fire Academy.
In a December interview with The Beachcomber, McLaughlin said he planned to remain with VIFR for up to five years, focusing on succession planning and stabilizing staffing.
More information about the commissioners’ July 29 meeting is available at vifr.org.
