Clinton resident Lawrence Metz begins a two-year term as fire commissioner for South Whidbey Fire/EMS, filling a position vacated earlier this month. Metz was selected at a special meeting on February 24, following interviews of four candidates.Metz brings a wealth of experience to the position. He was a firefighter with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, assigned to Los Angeles harbor. In fact, it was while he was with the department that he learned of Whidbey Island when Nichols Brothers was chosen to build a large fireboat for the department in 2003. He retired in 2008 after 36 years on the job. He has also served on the Firefighters First Credit Union board of directors in California since 1984. He and his wife Peggy purchased their home on Whidbey Island in 2011 and moved here permanently in 2012.