The Fire District has an elected board of commissioners the are responisble for legislative governance to include finance and funding and establishment of policy and type and level of service to the citizens.

Greg Anderson, Commissioner - Position 1

Commissioner Greg Anderson retired from District 9 as the Assistant Fire Chief in December of 2023 after serving 43+ years with the district. Greg has a long history with the district starting back in 1980 as a Volunteer Firefighter and dispatcher before becoming a Career Firefighter in 1990 and working up the ranks to Assistant Chief of Emergency Services in 2017. He is now embarking on a new adventure as Fire Commissioner following in his father's footsteps who was also a Fire 9 Commissioner. Greg was elected to serve a six-year term starting in 2024.

Brian Mather, Commissioner - Position 2

Brian Mather was elected to become a Spokane County Fire District 9 Fire Commissioner in 2022. Brian was born and raised in north Spokane. He graduated from Mead HS and went on to earn his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree in 1996 and is the owner of Spokane Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic, located in the Wandermere area. He is also been the team chiropractor for the Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club since 2001. Dr. Mather served as chiropractor for the 2007 & 2010 U.S. Figure Skating National Championships held here in Spokane. He is a consultant to many of the areas semi professional and collegiate athletic teams. He is married to his wife Sheleis, and they have 3 kids that are all very involved in sports and other activities in the community. Brian has served on various boards at St. Thomas More Catholic Church and School, but has been the Finance Chair for the parish and the school for many years. He and his family are often in the stands at local sporting events cheering on their kids, family or friends that participate in every level of athletics. The Mather family loves to camp and hang out with their friends enjoying this wonderful community. Brian has always found his greatest joy in being of service to others. Whether it's his patients, his church or school communities he always enjoys making an impact in the community. He is honored to have been elected to serve the citizens of Fire District 9, and you will probably find him spending his free time at one of the fire stations or helping out in the fire district wherever he can.

James Bennett, Commissioner - Position 3

James Bennett, MBA, is an experienced healthcare and fire service professional currently serving as Fire Commissioner Position 3 for Spokane County Fire District 9 since January 2014, where oversight is provided to ensure effective management of the district. James has held leadership roles, including President of the Spokane Fire Commissioners Association and previously served as President of the Spokane County Fire Commissioners Association from January 2020 to June 2022, facilitating communication and support among local Fire Districts. As a paramedic with American Medical Response since February 1992, James operates as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) provider in a dynamic 911 system. Prior to these roles, James was CEO of Deer Park Ambulance, where significant operational improvements were implemented during a challenging period. James holds a Master of Business Administration in International Business and Healthcare from Whitworth University, earned between 2005 and 2007.

The Board of Commissioners select a Fire Chief that serves as the Chief Executive of the District. The Fire Chief selects Assistant Chiefs and Division Chiefs to manage and supervise the functional areas of the District.

Jim Walkowski, Fire Chief

Jim began in the fire service in 1985. His career progressed through the ranks of Firefighter, Lieutenant, and Chief Fire Officer. Jim was appointed as the Spokane County Fire District #9 Fire Chief on January 1, 2024. He serves on numerous teams and committees representing the Washington Fire Chiefs Association and NE Washington Regional Incident Management Team 3. He is a member of the International Fire Chiefs, Washington Fire Chiefs, and Spokane County Fire Chiefs Association. In addition, he has authored and co-authored numerous fire service articles, publications, podcasts, and Ted Talks. Jim is a graduate of the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institue and is the past President of the Washington Fire Chiefs Association.

Doug Bleeker, Assistant Chief-Prevention/Public Education/Fire Investigation

Doug is the Assistant Chief of Technical Services for Fire District 9. He started in the fire service as a firefighter with the City of Cheney Fire Department in 1986. Doug has a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University and a Masters in Public Administration from City University of Seattle. He’s an IFSAC certified fire investigator and serves on the board of directors for the Washington Chapter of International Association of Fire Investigators. Doug has taught for the north Spokane County regional firefighter recruit academy since 1995. He serves on Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 4 (type-2) and the NE Region Incident Management Team (type-3). He also represents the Inland Empire Fire Chiefs Association on the Advisory Council to Spokane Regional Clean Air Authority. Doug lives in the area and enjoys outdoor activities with his family when he’s not out camping on project fires.

Nathan Jeffries, Assistant Chief-Training/HR

Nathan joined Fire 9 as a volunteer in 1998 serving as a member of Station 92 in Mead. He was hired full time in 2003 and rose through the ranks serving as a Firefighter, Lieutenant and Training Captain. Nathan was promoted to Assistant Chief in February of 2024.  He currently serves as the Chairman of the Inland Empire Fire Chief’s Association Training Subcommittee and works with other area training officers to maximize the training opportunities offered to all fire departments of the Inland Northwest.  Nathan serves on several regional and state training committees representing the Spokane Region. He presently serves as a Planning Section Chief for Pacific Northwest Team 3 (type 1). Nathan was born and raised in the area attending Mead High School and Eastern Washington University.  He currently lives with his spouse in the Mead area. In his off duty time he enjoys travelling across the world to experience different cultures.  In addition, he is an avid Gonzaga Men’s Basketball fan and rarely misses a game.

Dan Cecil, Assistant Chief- Operations

Dan was born and raised in Spokane Valley.  He became a member of SCFD9 in 1992 as a Resident Firefighter.  He left the Resident Program in 1996 to attend paramedic school at Central Washington University.  After completing paramedic school in 1997, Dan worked for the Department of Natural Resources as part of a Helitack crew, fighting wildfires from a helicopter. After the completion of the wildfire season, Dan gained employment with American Medical Response as a paramedic in Yakima, Wa.  In February of 1998, Dan was offered full-time employment with Spokane County Fire District. #9.  Dan has remained a paramedic with the Fire District as he promoted through the ranks.  He was promoted to Division Chief of Emergency Medical Services on April 1, 2022.  As of February 2024, Dan holds the rank of Assistant Chief of Operations. Dan is a resident of the Nine Mile area where he enjoys time with his two children, Kaden & Dakota.  When off-duty, his hobbies include fishing, camping and wood working.

Doug Strong, Division Chief-Support Services

Doug started in the fire service as a volunteer firefighter with Fire 9 in the summer of 1980 and served as an active volunteer at Station 92 and then Station 96 until January 2013. In January 1985 Doug was hired by the District as a mechanics helper, then became the Maintenance Technician in the late 1980s and was promoted to Support Services Division Chief in February of 2002. Doug is a past board member with the Washington State Fire Chiefs’ Mechanics Division. Doug and his wife, Chandra, live in the Foothills area of the Fire District and have two girls who are grown and have moved on to the next chapter of their lives. Doug and Chandra enjoy staying involved with their church and other local volunteer opportunities.

Bob Shindelar, Division Chief-Wildfire Operations/Fuels

Bob started his career with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Fire Control in 1988. He later worked for the Bureau of Land Management and United States Forest Service in various firefighter positions and moved up into higher level fire management positions to become the Forest Fire Chief for the Boise National Forest in Idaho. After 30 years of federal service, he made a career move to become the Division Chief for Wildfire Operations and Fuels for the District. He gained his Forestry and Fire Management education from Colorado State University and Humboldt State University. He is an Incident Commander for Northwest Incident Management Team 12; State Fire Marshal’s Office Wildfire Defense Committee Representative for Northeast Washington; and Washington State Fire Chief’s Representative for Washington fire service to the Pacific Northwest Coordinating Group’s, Northwest Geographic Board.