Published July 16 2025
28-year veteran of department has served as interim chief since April
Bellevue City Manager Diane Carlson announced Wednesday that Dave Tait is the city’s new fire chief after former chief Jay Hagen retired from Bellevue earlier this year. Tait served as interim fire chief until his selection for the chief role this week.
Tait has been with the department for 28 years, serving in roles including firefighter, paramedic, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief and deputy chief for the bureau of operations until being tapped for interim chief.
“We are lucky to have such an exceptional candidate for fire chief right in our ranks, who has earned high respect in the region and across the state of Washington for his vision, character, competence and people-first approach to the work,” said Carlson.
“Dave has served and come to know this community over decades in many fire roles, understands how to embody and support the culture of excellence we live by in Bellevue, and has continuously grown in skill and leadership ability in his years with the department. It was an easy decision to choose Dave to lead this high-powered, dedicated department in service to the Bellevue community.”
Tait is a University of Washington graduate and has a master’s degree from Arizona State University in public safety leadership and executive fire administration. He is also heavily involved in public safety training, serving as an instructor for a variety of emergency medical and community response courses. In 2024, Tait was honored by colleagues for demonstrating the core values of integrity, commitment to employees and exceptional public service.
The Bellevue Fire Department serves a population of more than 155,000 in a 33-square mile area, with an additional 201,000 community members served through service contracts with neighboring cities. The department includes nine fire stations, with a 10th under construction, and a staff of 247 firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and mental health professionals.
The department has maintained accreditation with the Center for Public Safety Excellence since 1998. One of a select few firefighting agencies with a Class 2 rating from the Washington State Survey and Rating Bureau, Bellevue Fire ranks in the top 1% of the 46,699 departments in the U.S. and maintains one of the highest cardiac arrest survival rates in the world.