Arthur Getchman
6/24/1934 – 4/21/2017
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Commissioner Art Getchman spent thirty-six years representing the people in South Bay Fire District 8. He was first elected as a Commissioner in 1979 and was reelected for six, consecutive six-year terms with his last day being December 15, 2015. During his time in office, the department evolved from a small, fully volunteer organization into an emergency response system with eleven full-time employees with over seventy volunteers and recognized as one of the top departments in the state. He helped shepherd the merger of the North Olympia District 7 into District 8 in 2015.
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Art and his wife Carol (also deceased) had lived in the Puget Sound area all their lives. He was well known throughout the Olympia area for his long tenure as a teacher and principal in the North Thurston School District where he was well respected for his positive relationship with students and parents.