Dave Kraski, is the Fire Chief for North County Regional Fire Authority (NCRFA).  Kraski replaces former Chief John Cermak, who served in the position of 10 years before retiring in March, 2025. The fire authority provides fire suppression and emergency medical service to 47,000 people over 120 square miles, including the cities of Stanwood and Arlington.

Kraski started his career in the fire service in the 1990s when Arlington opened a fire station near his home and he volunteered as a firefighter. He worked his way up the ranks to become the fire chief for the city in 2018.

In 2021, Kraski was instrumental in communicating with city residents about annexing to NCRFA. The reason for annexation was to be more cost-effective for taxpayers and provide an improved emergency response with combined resources for both city and fire authority residents. The ballot measure passed overwhelmingly at almost 90%. Chief Kraski joined North County Fire/EMS as its operations chief after the annexation took effect.

Chief Kraski has an associate’s degree in fire science and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in fire administration. He and Denise, his wife of 30 years, have lived in North Snohomish County for 30 years and raised two daughters, Jordan and Olivia.