The public records officer for the department shall be appointed by the director, for all records maintained by the department whether located at the headquarters office or at such other offices throughout the state maintained by the department. The public records officer shall be located at such central office. The public records officer shall be responsible for implementation of this chapter regarding release of public records, coordinating the staff of the department in this regard, generally insuring compliance by the staff with the public records disclosure requirements of RCW 42.17.250 through 42.17.320, and maintaining the records index of the department as required.