Quilcene Fire Rescue hopes the community will welcome aboard a new fire chief at the Department’s annual community barbecue near the end of the month. Frank Montone officially reports for duty as the new Quilcene fire chief July 1, but the public can meet him at 1 p.m. June 29 at the Quilcene Fire Station, while getting meals off the grill and keeping one eye on kids playing in the bouncy house. Montone comes to Quilcene from Navy Region Northwest, after a 31-year career with the Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Services. A Chicago-area native who began his firefighting career in the U.S. Air Force, Montone reported to Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota during the late 1980s. Montone started as a hand-line man, moving into driver/operator, crew chief, rescue person, fire dispatcher, fire inspector, station captain, assistant chief for operations, assistant chief for training, assistant chief for fire prevention and deputy fire chief. Montone’s career continued with stints as a fire chief at three major Department of Defense installations, and as a three-time region fire chief overseeing fire and emergency services operations over four continents. Montone’s Air Force, Army and Navy assignments in fire and emergency services have included duty stations at Germany, Italy and Japan, and as near as Florida, Illinois, North Dakota, Colorado, Montana, California, and most recently, Navy Region Northwest Fire and Emergency Services in Keyport, Washington. Montone has also served as a member of the Air Force Space Command Inspector General Team for Fire Protection, is a member of the National Fire Academy Alumni Association, and was recently the DOD liaison to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Wellness, Health and Safety Division. While Montone was the installation fire chief for Commander Naval Region Southeast Fire and Emergency Services at Naval Air Station Key West in 2009, he was awarded the Department of Navy Civilian Meritorious Service medal, the highest award bestowed on civilian employees for the Department of the Navy. Quilcene Fire Rescue has issued a statement welcoming Montone, his wife Lori and two children, Dominick and Adriana, to the community.