Snohomish County Fire District 1 Deputy Chief and Edmonds Fire Marshal John Westfall is retiring from the fire service after more than 26 years.

Westfall, a native of north Seattle, joined the Edmonds Fire Department in 1989. “I was fresh out of the Navy,” he said.

Three years later, Westfall was appointed to the department’s Fire Prevention Office as a senior inspector. He was promoted to fire marshal in 1998. “I was able to serve the business and building community more closely. I got to know the fire code and how it works,” Westfall said. “I liked it and I never left.”

His job as fire marshal also involved conducting fire investigations. One of his most memorable cases was the arson fire at the Gregory Building in downtown Edmonds in 2005. The condominium building was under construction, but nearing completion at the time of the fire. The loss was estimated at more than $5 million. Westfall worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms response team on the investigation.

Westfall continued his service as a fire marshal and deputy chief when the Edmonds Fire Department consolidated with Fire District 1 in 2010.

Westfall was a member of the Snohomish County Fire Prevention Officers and served four years as a board member of the Washington State Association of Fire Marshals. “I was able to be involved with statewide issues and help mold fire marshaling at that level,” he said.

Even as Westfall advanced in his fire service career, he continued his service in the U.S. Navy Reserve and was deployed three times following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001: locally in October 2001, in the Philippines in 2008 and in Iraq in 2009. He retired from reserve duty in 2010.

Westfall is moving to Sacramento to be with his wife, who took a job there in October. He will also be starting a new job in the building codes division of the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

“I’ve enjoyed working with everyone in the fire district. I’ve had the chance to work with city staff, the fire district, firefighters and statewide associations. It’s been a great opportunity to help others and bring resources together,” Westfall said.