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The City of Cosmopolis is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Tarabochia as Cosmopolis Fire Chief. His appointment was made by Mayor Pauley and confirmed unanimously by the Cosmopolis City Council at teh Wednesday, March 16, 2022 Regular City Council meeting.
Tarabochia joins the city following a 30+ year career in firefighting in the Bellingham area, including 14 years as Fire Commissioner with Skagit County Fire District 14 in Alger, WA.
“The first and most important item on my list as the new Chief is to try and work with our responders that resigned and get some, or all, of them back on board so that we can staff fire and aid response for our citizens. I realize the work, time, and effort they put in over the years for our citizens and I do not want to see that swept under the rug. I am certain through my reaching out to them that they feel the same way.” said Tarabochia.
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“Secondly I want to make sure that our responders have the very best of tools and training at their disposal so that they can continue to provide an adequate response for our citizens,” he added.
Tarabochia will lead the Cosmopolis Volunteer Fire Department as the department rebuilds its staff, working directly with City Administrator Darrin Raines and the rest of the city staff. In searching for a new Fire Chief, the City Council approved a stipend for the position due to the amount of work needed.
“We are very excited to welcome Mark Tarabochia to our team as the first paid Fire Chief of the City of Cosmopolis. Mark’s qualifications speak for themselves, and his personality will be an asset as we try to restart our team of Firefighters.” said City Administrator Raines.
Tarabochia and his wife purchased property in 2017 and built their home before moving to Cosmopolis following his retirement.
Residents in the Cosmopolis area looking to apply to serve with the Cosmopolis Volunteer Fire Appointment are encouraged to apply now through the Application Form on the City website at https://www.cosmopoliswa.gov/