Meet the Fire Chief

Chief Dave Mataftin joined the District in 2006, when King County Fire District 26 and Federal Way Fire Department merged, creating South King Fire & Rescue (SKFR).

In 1976, Chief Mataftin began his fire service career as a volunteer and resident at King County Fire District 26 in Des Moines. He was promoted through the ranks of Firefighter, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief, and Assistant Chief. Before being appointed Fire Chief, Dave served as the Chief of Special Operations, overseeing all specialized crews including Technical Rescue, Hazmat, Wildland and Marine Teams.

During the pandemic, Chief Mataftin was a regional leader in guiding the District’s COVID-19 response. Under his leadership, a COVID-19 Task Force was formed to navigate the evolving stages of the pandemic. Before the availability of vaccines, Chief Mataftin and his Task Force created a decontamination center for neighboring law enforcement agencies to utilize. Additionally, under Chief Mataftin’s direction, the District designed a template for first responding agencies that experienced supply shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This PPE template was used in throughout the United States and internationally including Mexico, Canada, and Switzerland.

Chief Mataftin has led many departmental changes. This included overseeing the District’s capital improvement Bond, which improved safety by seismically retrofitting legacy fire stations. Other projects include procuring fire engines and a heavy rescue apparatus. Dave’s last largescale project prior to his appointment as the Fire Chief was the design, development, and implementation of SKFR’s new fireboat Zenith.

Dave holds a Bachelor of Science, with a Fire Service Specialization from Columbia Southern University.