Clallam County Fire District No. 2

Fire District 2 was formed in 1944, and was founded by a group of housewives who lived in the Gales Addition east of the City of Port Angeles.  Incorporation occurred in 1945.  The District now covers some 85 square miles surrounding the City of Port Angeles.  The District is bounded on the East by Deer Park Road and Lake Crescent on the West; Olympic National Park makes up the southern boundary and the Strait of Juan de Fuca the northern boundary.  District 2 also responds to both fire and emergency medical calls throughout Olympic National Park from Hurricane Ridge to Sol Duc Hot Springs. The District is an ALS Trauma Verified Ambulance service.  The service population is approximately 9,500 residents in a mix of commercial, suburban and rural areas  The District responds to an average of 1,800 calls per year.  Emergency medical calls are the bulk of our responses accounting for approximately 80% of all responses. 

Governing

District 2 is governed by three elected Fire Commissioners who set policy for the District. The Fire Commissioners are Steve Hopf, Keith Cortner and Dan Huff who serve six year terms. There are 11 full-time staff members: 1- Fire Chief; 1- Deputy Fire Chief; 1-Administrative Services Supervisor; 2- Captain/Paramedics; 1- Captain/EMT; 2-Firefighter/Paramedics; and 3- Firefighter/EMTs.  The Fire District also has 1 Part-time Volunteer Training/Coordinator.

Fire District 2 is primarily volunteer. We have between 45 and 50 volunteers, but can roster up to 60. The volunteers respond to calls from four stations; Station 21 at 508 N. Baker Street, Station 22 at 700 power Plant Road, Station 23 at 1992 Black Diamond Road, and Station 25 at 22 Prospect Place. 

Station 21 is staffed with career members 24/7/365 with a firefighter/paramedic and firefighter/EMT.  Station 22 is staffed with a career firefighter/paramedic and firefighter/EMT Monday-Friday 8 AM- 5PM.

Financial

District 2 is funded through the State Property Tax formula. Under State Law the District can receive up to $1.50 per $1,000 assessed value for fire suppression activities and $.50 for emergency medical services. Currently the District receives $1.02 per $1,000 for all services provided. A voter initiative limits the property tax increase.

 

 

Heather Catuzo

Administrative Services Supervisor

Heather was hired by District 2 in September, 2012. Her duties include administrative support for the District including accounts payable, receivable, payroll, burn permits, and she also serves as Secretary to the Board of Commissioners. She brings over nine years of Clallam County public sector experience, and over 20 years of general administrative experience to the District. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Planning and Environmental Policy from Western Washington University.

Heather Catuzo

Administrative Services Supervisor

Jake Patterson

Fire Chief

Fire Chief Jake Patterson was hired by the District in January 2017 as the Deputy Fire Chief. Previously Chief Patterson began as a volunteer firefighter/EMT with the City of Port Angeles in 1992. He then went to work for the Richland Fire Department in Eastern Washington as a firefighter/EMT. Chief Patterson returned to the Port Angeles Fire Department in 2000 and spent 17 years working as a firefighter/paramedic and lieutenant/paramedic until 2017, when he accepted the position of Deputy Fire Chief with Clallam 2 Fire Rescue. On July 1, 2019 he was appointed Fire Chief.

Jake Patterson

Fire Chief

Justin Grider

Deputy Fire Chief

Deputy Chief Grider was hired in November, 2019. He most recently was serving as the Volunteer Training/Coordinator with Clallam County Fire District #3 (Sequim). He spent the last 18 months in that position after retiring from the fire service in New Mexico. In 2015 he was named the State of New Mexico Fire Officer of the Year. This award is given to the fire officer who has emphasized leadership, dedication, integrity, professional development, service to the public and contributions to the Fire Service as a whole

Justin Grider

Deputy Fire Chief

Steve Hopf

Commissioner

Commissioner Steve Hopf was elected in November 2019 and took office as Fire Commissioner January 1, 2020. He has previously served as a volunteer with Clallam 2 Fire Rescue and was Chief of the District in the early 1990s. He worked for many years in King County and retired from South King County Fire & Rescue.

Steve Hopf

Commissioner

Keith Cortner

Commissioner

Commissioner Cortner has 25 plus years of experience which includes volunteer, combination, and paid service in South Florida. After retiring from the fire service he moved to the Port Angeles area. He held the ranks of Firefighter, Engineer, Captain and Department Fire Chief, including 4 years within the administration of Monroe County Fire Rescue. He also spent 7 years as a K-9 Search and Rescue Handler with a volunteer search group attached to FEMA Task Force II in Broward County Fla. He is currently employed part time for Early Alert Inc. an Emergency Management all hazard consulting firm and a hobbyist woodworker.

Keith Cortner

Commissioner

Dan Huff

Commissioner

Commissioner Dan Huff was appointed on January 1, 2023 to fill the vacancy created with the retirement of Commissioner Thomas Martin on October 31, 2022. While Commissioner Huff will be a new member of the Board, he is well familiar with the Fire District after serving over 45 years as a volunteer with the District, eventually retiring on 12/31/2022 as the volunteer Assistant Chief. He follows in the footsteps of his father-in-law, Bill Doran who was also a Fire District chief officer and fire commissioner.

Dan Huff

Commissioner