Susan Wolf, formerly the volunteer liaison and training secretary for Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR), was appointed district secretary by the fire department’s commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 5. She was sworn in by state Rep. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island).

Maridee BonaDea, who had served in the role for more than eight years, resigned in early June to accept an assignment in Mali, Africa, with the Peace Corps.

Until Wolf’s appointment, acting Fire Chief Mike Kirk told the commissioners, the former secretary’s duties have been divided among Linda Hamilton, Barbara Cooper and Susan Wolf.

Hamilton has been with the district for more than 28 years and was a former Emergency Medical Technician and dispatch supervisor. For the past several years, she has been handling accounts payable, performing some payroll duties and maintaining the VIFR database which interfaces with ValleyComm, the agency’s current dispatch provider.

Cooper, with more than 24 years as a purchasing agent with another company, has handled accounts receivable, purchasing, maintaining the VIFR Web page, telephone troubleshooting and reception duties.

Wolf, who has been with the district for more than five years and has more than 30 years of secretarial experience, processes volunteer applications, supports the Training Officer, produces a monthly calendar and newsletter and logs volunteer responses and training for the fire department.

“Fortunately,” said Wolf, “all three of us office staff work together extremely well and are more than willing to assist each other. Otherwise, it would not be easy to make do with 25 percent less personnel to handle all the business necessary to operate a modern governmental agency.”