Experienced candidates vie for GCFD 13 commissioner
EPHRATA – Two candidates with extensive firefighting experience – one a current incumbent, the other a challenger – are vying for a seat on Grant County Fire District 13’s board of commissioners.
Based in Ephrata, District 13 provides fire suppression, rescue, and medical aid across a 126-square-mile area and mutual-aid response to structure fires within city limits and neighboring rural districts. In doing so, district personnel operate and maintain equipment that includes a fleet of 13 vehicles.
In the Nov. 4 general election, voters within GCFD 13’s boundaries will choose between incumbent Kevin Danby and challenger Brian Black for a 6-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The position is non-partisan.
Danby, 72, has served on the board since 2021 with fellow commissioners Mel Lotz and Alan Sieverkropp. He cites that knowledge, along with shipboard fire training with the U.S. Coast Guard and 20 years’ firefighting experience while serving as general manager of Rimrock Meadows Association, in his qualifications.
Danby has also served on the Ephrata Chamber of Commerce board of directors since 2002, including four terms as president; on Grant County’s lodging tax advisory committee for over 10 years; on the Civil Service Commission for over two years; and on the Hanford Advisory Board since 2024.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington and operated a private business in Olympia for 21 years before moving to Grant County in 1999.
“I have enjoyed serving as (fire district) commissioner the past four years and look forward to serving another term for a well-run district that truly cares about our constituents,” Danby said in a candidate questionnaire.
Black, 43, is a lifelong Ephrata-area resident and graduate of Ephrata High School and Big Bend Community College who has served as a volunteer firefighter with GCFD 13 for 22 years. He is a former certified emergency medical technician and fire department captain, completed a three-year hydro powerplant operator apprenticeship, and has a combined 21 years’ experience working for Chelan and Grant County PUDs, recently returning to Grant PUD as a senior system operator.
In making his first bid for elective office, Black cites his background in operational leadership, volunteer public service, and “hands-on” involvement in fire station improvement projects and “apparatus builds” -- that is, configuring trucks for firefighting duty.
“Over the years, I’ve built strong relationships not only with personnel within our fire district, but also with members of neighboring fire departments and local government agencies,” he said.
Regarding the specific role of a commissioner, both candidates spoke of the need to use taxpayer dollars efficiently, pursue grant opportunities, recruit and effectively train new volunteers, and explore development of a new satellite fire station.
In differentiating themselves, Danby said, “The most important difference is my vast record of public service … and my 40 years of being a boss responsible for the success of the organization.”
Black, in turn, said, “I bring over 20 years of experience as a volunteer firefighter, providing me with a deep understanding of emergency response operations. I also have more than two decades of experience in … the public power industry, which has sharpened my skills in leadership, coordination, and crisis management.”
Black can be contacted by email at Black4fire13@gmail.com; Danby at kid753@gmail.com.
