New Deputy Fire Chief Greg Chesser is excited to work for the Boulder City Fire Department and use his experience to provide additional resources for the firefighters and the community.
During his 34-year fire service career, Chesser served as a firefighter, training officer, assistant fire chief in prevention, assistant fire chief and a fire chief for the United States Air Force. He also spent 20 years in management.
He moved recently to the Las Vegas area from Cheyenne, Wyoming, because of a job opportunity for his wife.
“I was OK with it being over and doing something else,” he said about his fire service career.
The Boulder City Fire Department, however, changed his mind.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started, Fire Chief Will Gray reached out to Chesser and asked him to help with setting up the local emergency response center. He accepted and said he enjoyed the experience and really liked the department and the people in it.
Once he was finished, he started working as a safety officer at Hoover Dam until the opportunity to be deputy chief arose.
“When this position opened up, I literally jumped at the chance,” he said.
“I feel that Chief Gray and I, working together, can do great things to strengthen the response and efforts of the department,” he added.
“I believe Deputy Chief Chesser will help Boulder City grow and develop our reserve firefighters program in the coming years,” Gray said. “His experience and reputation for strong leadership and training skills will be extremely beneficial, especially as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Chesser said he is looking forward to improving internal procedures and updating the department’s online information.
“There is so much potential here for the processes. … I’m already working on a new fire investigator program,” he said.
Chesser said he is a fire investigator and wants to provide training on that subject to the firefighters on staff.
“Boulder City Fire Department prides itself on providing outstanding emergency medical, fire and rescue services within a 208-square-mile area for a population of approximately 16,000,” said City Manager Al Noyola. “Having guidance from Deputy Chief Chesser and Chief Gray will lead our department and firefighters to be effective and successful in serving our community.”
City Council approved filling the deputy chief position June 23 in a 4-1 vote. Mayor Kiernan McManus said he was concerned with hiring someone when the city does not know what revenue it will receive from the state due to fallout from the pandemic.
The position was part of the approved 2021 fiscal year budget and not part of the open positions recently frozen to save money.
Chesser started as deputy chief Monday, July 20.
Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.