Jones to replace Carson as Kent-based Puget Sound Fire chief

Brian Carson will retire as fire chief of Kent-based Puget Sound Fire and be replaced by Deputy Chief Mark Jones.

Carson’s final day is Oct. 1, according to a Sept. 26 Puget Sound Fire media release. He has been the chief since February 2023.

“We exist to serve,” said Carson, a fire service veteran of 33 years. “We have an incredible team at Puget Sound Fire that believes the same and provides exceptional service to our communities. I am always guided by our four strategic goals – taking care of our communities, taking care of our staff, building connections in the community and ensuring we are a resilient, sustainable organization.”

Carson joined Puget Sound Fire (formerly the Kent Fire Department) in 2014 as a captain when the city of SeaTac began its contract with the agency for fire and emergency medical services. Since then he has served as a captain and battalion chief for the Operations Division, a deputy chief in the South King County Fire Training Consortium and the assistant chief of Operations.

Toni Troutner, chair of the Puget Sound Fire Governance Board and a Kent City Council member, described the work by Carson.

“Among his many accomplishments, the governance board appreciates his leadership during the annexation of the city of Tukwila into Puget Sound Fire, but we truly appreciate his open communication, always putting others first, his vision to be a regional partner and his commitment to the community and serving others,” Troutner said.

Carson replaced Matthew Morris, who retired after more than five years as chief.

Due to a strong pool of qualified internal candidates, the governance board conducted an internal selection process for the next fire chief, according to the media release.

At the conclusion of that process, Jones was appointed by a unanimous vote of the board to serve as the next chief.

Jones is a lifelong member of the local community. A Kentwood High School graduate, he has called this area home for more than 40 years. He began his fire service career in 1991 as a volunteer firefighter with the city of Kent and was hired by the Kent Fire Department in 1993.

“This is more than a job for me, it’s the continuation of a lifelong commitment to provide service to this community that began over three decades ago,” Jones said.

In addition to his long-standing career with the department, Jones served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a former president of Kent Firefighters Local 1747. His decades of leadership, dedication, and deep roots in the community will guide Puget Sound Fire into its next chapter, according to the media release.

“Chief Jones is committed to providing the best service to all the communities we serve,” Troutner said. “He brings a unique perspective and innovative ideas on how best to serve our communities with the resources you have entrusted to us.”

Puget Sound Fire has a staff of more than 450 firefighters and non-uniformed support personnel, who provide services to the communities of Covington, Kent, Maple Valley, SeaTac, Tukwila and King County Fire Districts 37 & 43. The agency has 17 fire stations and serves more than 260,000 people in an area covering 120 square miles.