BY KAREN BOSSICK

Former Blaine County Commissioner Tom Bowman has been hired as the interim fire chief for the City of Ketchum.

Bowman, a volunteer for the Ketchum Fire Department, began his new position on Tuesday, March 12.

Bowman, a longtime Blaine County resident, has spent much of his life in public service. In addition to serving on the county commission, he has served as a Blaine County Planning and Zoning commissioner and a Ketchum Rural Fire District commissioner.

He has been a volunteer firefighter since 1984 and was quite involved in assisting with the 2007 Castle Rock Fire and the 2013 Beaver Creek Fire.

He steps into a role vacated by former Fire Chief Mike Elle in October 2018. Elle had served with the department for more than three decades.

Marcus Kragness, a consultant who was hired in August after Elle went on medical leave, served as interim fire chief for a few months. Then Sun Valley Fire Chief Taan Robrahn stepped in to provide leadership as the cities of Ketchum and Sun Valley eyed a potential consolidation of public safety services.

But consolidation talks failed this month. And a report from Kragness painted a picture of a fire  department that has been underfunded and working in deplorable working conditions at its current facility next to city hall.

Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw said he was excited to have Bowman at the helm.

“His experience and relationships with our volunteer and full-time firefighters will be good for the city,” he said.