The vacant seat on the North Whidbey Fire and Rescue board of commissioners remains empty as the two remaining commissioners were unable to agree on who to appoint at Tuesday’s meeting.

The board has been short one member since Ron Muzzall resigned Dec. 18, and the district has been seeking qualified applicants ever since.

Five applications came in, from Robert Barker, Jerry Goen, Larry Wall, Jay Brand and Bruce Carman. All except Wall were present at Tuesday’s meeting to be interviewed by commissioners Larry Morse and T.J. Lamont.

After each interview, Morse and Lamont went into executive session to discuss the candidate before moving on to the next interview.

Of the four, Barker, Brand and Carman have the most experience in firefighting.

Brand said he has lived on Whidbey Island for the last seven years and had spent 25 years working for the Seattle Fire Department before retiring.

“I was an assistant chief at District 13 in Skagit County and I know the fire service top to bottom,” he said.

Brand said he has worked in all aspects of the fire service from being an arson investigator to administration.

“I have worked on boards and with council members in the past, and I think a commissioner needs to look out for the public and the firefighters,” he said.

Brand said his personal strength was his honesty and his weakness was maybe being too nice a guy.

He said, if appointed, he would be a candidate for the position in the fall election.

“You will get me full time if I’m appointed. My wife said I need a hobby,” he concluded with a smile.

Carman cited his prior 13 years’ experience as District 2 fire commissioner and his 25 years as a volunteer firefighter.

“I am the best-qualified individual for the job because of my past experience,” he said.

Carman said he has lived on Whidbey Island since 1974 and has had formal training as a volunteer firefighter and has also had command training.

“I was involved in the construction of the Taylor Fire Station and I have also written policy for the department,” he said.

Carman said his personal strength is his ability to make tough decisions even when they may not be popular and said he has no “personal weaknesses.”

“I have the ability to interact with people and you can depend on my loyalty and experience. I think change is inevitable and we should greet it as positively as possible,” he said.

Carman also said he would be a candidate for election if appointed to the position.

Goin said he has been with the North Whidbey Fire District for a number of years and he wants to make sure the firefighters continue to serve the community.

“I have advanced through the ranks to the position of battalion chief and I have knowledge of fire apparatus and training,” he said. “My dedication to fire service would make me a good commissioner.”

Goin cited personal strength and aggressiveness as his strong point.

“My weakness? My temperament, that probably would be a fair statement,” he said with a smile.

“I think I’d be a candidate in 2007, but right now I don’t know,” he said.

Barker said he gained most of his 20 years of firefighting experience working in Southern California.

“I read in the paper there was an opening and decided to apply,” he said. “This area is growing tremendously, just like the area where I was in Southern California, and the fire services need to grow with it. I think growth needs to be addressed by the fire commissioners. We have to change and move forward with modernization, especially in equipment, while maintaining the resources we have at hand.”

Barker said he left the area in 1972 and came back after he retired in 1993, but couldn’t be a volunteer firefighter anymore due to a medical condition.

Barker cited his personal strength as the ability to perform tasks assigned to him. He’s never evaluated his weaknesses.

“I’ve always enjoyed life and try not to think about anything negative,” he said.

Barker said he wasn’t sure about running for election.

“Right now, that’s too far down the road,” he said.

At the conclusion of the interviews, Morse thanked all four candidates for their interest and willingness to serve.

“Some districts have no one who wants to be a commissioner,” he said.

Morse said Brand comes to the district with the least amount of knowledge of how things have been and would give the district a “new look.” He then made a motion to appoint Brand to fill the vacant position.

Morse’s motion died for lack of a second.

Lamont never mentioned which of the applicants he favored to fill the position.

The appointment will now go to the Island County Commissioners and a decision will hopefully be made at the March 6 commissioners’ meeting.