A former Sitka Coast Guard commander will soon take a permanent position leading the local fire hall. The Sitka Assembly approved the promotion of interim fire chief Brian McLaughlin to the position at its meeting Tuesday night (8-25-26).
Jeffrey Reinhardt is a local chiropractor, and a former military helicopter repairman. He told the assembly McLaughlin is a “born leader” who he would be honored to serve under.
“I can’t think of a better individual, somebody more suited to lead people,” Reinhardt said. “He understands how to teach and coach, he knows when it’s time to get the book out and put his thumb down and get things done.”
McLaughlin spent 25 years in the U.S. Coast Guard. He served as commanding officer of Air Station Sitka from 2020 to 2022 and as chief of operations for the Coast Guard’s Alaska and Arctic region from 2022 to 2024.
He began volunteering with the Sitka Fire Department in 2024 and served as volunteer search and rescue captain. He accepted the interim fire chief role on a short-term basis following the retirements of both the chief and assistant chief this spring.
McLaughlin said his four months in the interim role have been a “whirlwind of learning and growing with the fire department” as they grow as a team and build new systems.
“My primary job in there is to earn the trust of the men and women who put their lives on the line every day, and to do that, I need to be there as much as possible, working alongside them and getting them the resources they need so that [we] can then go out and serve the community as best as we can,” he said.
An offer letter was extended to McLaughlin on Aug. 18, but was made contingent upon assembly approval. The assembly approved the hire unanimously on Tuesday.
McLaughlin’s annual salary starts at about $124,000. His first day is Aug. 31.
