LEADERSHIP TEAM
Darrington Fire District 24 is governed by a five-member board of elected fire district commissioners. The commissioners are responsible for the adoption of policy and the annual operating budget for the District.
Under the oversight of the elected commission is managed by a leadership team of officers. The leadership team is responsible for the implementation and execution of the strategy of the organization based upon policy set by elected commission. The leadership team also manages the day-to-day operations of the fire district.
OFFICERS
Dennis Fenstermaker
District Fire Chief
Chief Fenstermaker has volunteered with the district since 1997. He has served as the fire chief since 2006. As the Fire Chief, Dennis is responsible for the overall operational and administrative functions of the agency. He leads the District's Leadership Team.
Chief Fenstermaker actively participates on regional and county-wide efforts such as the Snohomish County Fire Chiefs Association, Snohomish County EMS Council, North Snohomish County Fire Chiefs, and the Stillaguamish Water Rescue Team.
Chief Fenstermaker has been instrumental to the development of our regional water rescue team and other specialty teams throughout the state.
Drew Bono
Deputy Fire Chief - Operations
Chief Bono has served in different capacities of the fire service for a decade. He has been with the Darrington Fire District since 2016 and provided consulting services to the district prior to that.
As the Chief of Operations, Chief Bono is responsible for leading the emergency response functions of the fire district. In addition to managing internal response operations, Chief Bono assists with managing our strategic partnerships with external agencies, such as our regional fleet management programs shared with seven fire departments and our shared technology services program shared with 10 agencies.
Chief Bono has served on several boards and committees. He is currently Board Chairman of the Darrington Internet Users Association (DIUA). He also served currently a board member of the nationally recognized All-Hazards Incident Management Team Association (AHIMTA) and Darrington Strong.
Joel Johnson
Captain - Training/Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
Captain Johnson started with Darrington Fire District 24 in 2016 as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT. Beginning in 2020, he was hired to a shared, full-time position with Snohomish County District 25/Oso Fire Department. This position is provided through a federal SAFER Grant. This grant allows both agencies to share a paid staff position without incurring much cost.
Joel is responsible for the training, recruitment, and retention of volunteers for Districts 24/25. He helps with making sure that all of our personnel have the resources they need to be safe and successful as they serve the community.
Joel also serves as the Executive Director for our area chaplain and support organization, Northwest Incident Support. NWIS provides services for 13 different first responder departments in Island, Snohomish, and Skagit Counties.
Gary Lingel
Captain/Paramedic - Medical Services Administrator (MSA)
Captain Lingel started with Darrington Fire District 24 in 2019 as the MSA/Paramedic. Prior to joining the team, Gary helped with ongoing EMT training and evaluations on a contract basis.
Now, Gary leads our entire emergency medical system. He is responsible for the training of all EMTs and Paramedics, buying supplies, and making sure we are ready to respond anytime there is a medical emergency.
Gary has been a firefighter for over 22 years. He currently is a full-time Captain/Paramedic with North County Regional Fire Authority, based in Stanwood. Gary also owns a small business that focuses on medical and HAZMAT training for community groups, businesses, and other government entities.