SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer will be leaving his position, but he won’t be resigning.
Schaeffer clarified his situation Thursday morning, saying in an email that he has not resigned, but he does intend to retire. The message contradicted information sources in city hall told NonStop Local KHQ on Wednesday.
Schaeffer himself couldn’t be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Wednesday morning, NonStop Local received a tip saying the fire chief had been let go by Mayor Lisa Brown as she took over for former Mayor Nadine Woodward.
The Brown administration didn’t immediately return multiple calls and emails, but a city hall official said that, per an administration source, Schaeffer had resigned in late December.
A city hall official later issued a statement on behalf of Brown, saying, “I am consulting with Fire Department leadership, including Chief Brian Schaeffer, to develop a plan and process for transitioning the role of Fire Chief. Discussions are underway and scheduled to continue over the next week. As the plan is being developed, the Spokane Fire Department will continue to provide excellent public safety services for our community every day.”
The statement indicated Schaeffer was still acting as the chief, but the Brown administration wouldn’t elaborate further.
On Thursday morning, Schaeffer reached out to NonStop Local and said in an email, “I sent my intent to retire, but I am meeting with the staff to work through that transition.”
He said he was working on finalizing plans. Schaeffer said he will speak with NonStop Local Thursday afternoon to further clarify his intentions.
