Chief Bill Whealan Retires from Benton County Fire District 4

February 8, 2021 marks the official retirement of Fire Chief Bill Whealan from Benton County Fire District 4. Chief Whealan’s fire service career spans almost four decades, the last nine years of which he served as Fire Chief for the agency that serves 20,000 people in the city of West Richland and its immediate unincorporated areas.

Chief Whealan moved to Benton County in 2011 from Hemet, Calif. where he served as its Interim Fire Chief. In total, Chief Whealan has 25 years of his career in chief officer level positions in Nev., Calif., and Wash. He says that one of his greatest accomplishments during this time is not having any firefighter deaths or serious injuries under his watch.

“That’s what this is about. Saving lives and property and bringing your people through each call safely,” said Chief Whealan. “There’s no greater accomplishment than that.”

While at Benton 4, Chief Whealan increased the standards of medical evaluations for emergency personnel that were credited with saving two lives by catching underlying health issues. He is also responsible for pursuing voter-approved funding measures to improve fire and emergency medical service for area residents. His effort to build and equip a new fire station in the western half of the fire district have reduced response times and provided additional emergency units and personnel for all residents.

“The Benton County community understands the value of emergency services,” said Chief Whealan. “We have the ideas, but our community makes it possible. We are forever grateful for their support.”

Chief Whealan’s immediate retirement plans include spending every anniversary, holiday and birthday with his family members. (This is not a luxury that many in emergency services are afforded.) He also plans to spend more time outdoors backpacking, hiking and cycling both road and mountain terrain. When he’s had his fill of these activities, Chief Whealan will be providing consulting services through the Ammonia Safety Training Institute, which provides safety training for hazardous materials.