West Pierce Fire board names replacement for attorney who resigned after drug charges
Lakewood resident Marshal (Scott) Dellinger will fill the vacancy left by former West Pierce Fire & Rescue Commissioner John Sheeran, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the department.
The Board of Fire Commissioners voted to appoint Dellinger, a captain at Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, at their meeting Tuesday. He will serve in Sheeran’s former seat, Position 5, until the end of 2025, when a commissioner elected by voters later this year will serve the next six-year term from 2026-2031. Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority is a fire department serving areas of South King County, including the cities of Covington, Kent, Maple Valley, SeaTac and Tukwila, as well as unincorporated areas.
Sheeran resigned after he was arraigned Oct. 21 in federal court for allegedly smuggling drugs into a King County jail. He was charged with using his position as a Pierce County defense attorney to give substances including methamphetamine, ketamine, buprenorphine and THC to two of his clients at King County Correctional Facility in Seattle. He has pleaded not guilty, according to The News Tribune’s reporting.
Dellinger has served with Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority for 27 years, and is a board member for The Daffodil Festival, an annual Pierce County parade event, according to an email from West Pierce Fire & Rescue spokesperson Emily Tencer. Dellinger retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserves in 2019 after a 32-year military career.
Dellinger will be sworn in at the board’s next meeting Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Station 31, 3631 Drexler Drive W in University Place.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include more information about Commissioner Dellinger’s career.
This story was originally published January 24, 2025 at 8:00 AM.
