Coeur d'Alene Fire Chief Thomas Greif to retire after 29 years

Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Chief Thomas Greif is stepping down after nearly 29 years with the department, leaving behind a faster-growing operation that answered 10,591 emergency calls in 2024, up 5.7% from the year before and 35% over the past decade.

Greif began his career with the department in 1997 and rose to fire chief in 2022, spending about four years in the top job before his retirement took effect April 17, 2026. During that stretch, city officials said he oversaw critical equipment upgrades, an updated five-year master plan and stronger partnerships with surrounding agencies, changes that will shape how the department handles a heavier workload in the years ahead.

His departure also comes after a difficult stretch for local public safety. Greif said he had been considering retirement since early 2025 and had decided by September to step away, citing his health, family and the emotional toll of the June 29, 2025 Canfield Mountain ambush. That attack killed Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood and Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, and seriously injured engineer Dave Tysdal.

Mayor Woody McEvers thanked Greif for his years of service and said his work strengthened public safety in Coeur d’Alene and left the department positioned for the future. The city’s next chief will be Jon Fugitt, then deputy chief administrator and fire marshal for the Fullerton Fire Department in California, bringing 25 years of experience to a department that is already under more pressure than it was a decade ago.

Bill Deruyter will serve as interim fire chief starting April 17, 2026, until Fugitt begins in early to mid-May. The leadership change follows a period when Coeur d’Alene voters were on track in May 2025 to approve a $16.4 million, 10-year general obligation bond for the fire department, a sign that residents have already been asked to invest in the next phase of service delivery.

For Greif’s successor, the job now comes with more calls, more regional coordination and a city that is still growing. The department’s recent numbers show the scale of that challenge, and the transition will test how well the groundwork Greif leaves behind can keep pace with Coeur d’Alene’s expanding demands.