Eureka Fire Protection District Chief Greg Brown recently received the East-West Gateway Council of Governments’ Lifetime Achievement Award in Public Service.
Brown, 59, of Eureka began his career in fire service as a junior firefighter at 16 years old. He plans to retire from Eureka Fire at the end of the year, with Assistant Chief Scott Barthelmass taking over as chief.
Brown received the award Nov. 15 during East-West Gateway’s 59th annual Outstanding Local Government Achievement Awards ceremony, with hundreds of the region’s public servants present.
“I was honored and humbled that people from this region felt I deserved (the award),” Brown said.
“A majority of the senior elected officials in the region were there, but I didn’t go into this 40-plus years ago for an award. I wanted to help make the region better.”
Brown has served as chief since 1995. He became a full-time firefighter at Eureka Fire in 1985. He went to work for the Fenton Fire Protection District near the end of 1986, remaining as a volunteer for Eureka Fire, before returning to Eureka Fire fulltime a year later in 1987.
“Through exceptional leadership and collaboration, Chief Brown has significantly enhanced the emergency services across our region,” the East-West Gateway said in a statement.
“His commitment to safety for the past 30 years has reached far beyond the boundaries of his own department and has benefited our region both directly and indirectly.”
Patrick Feder, chairman of the Eureka Fire Board of Directors, said Brown is a “humble servant” of the community.
“He’s done so much not only for the Eureka community but for St. Louis and Missouri without asking for recognition,” Feder said.
“Our community has grown significantly, and he has maintained that pace to provide adequate service. From the fire district’s perspective, he’s an unbelievable networker, and he develops and nourishes relationships far before anything is really needed.”
Feder said Brown was instrumental in securing resources and organizing community efforts following the 2015 and 2017 floods. Brown was appointed to the citizen’s task force to work for the passage of Proposition E in 2018, which was approved with more than 70 percent support from voters.
Revenue from Prop E, a 1/2-cent sales tax, is going toward the construction of a new government center, including a Police Station, and flood mitigation measures.
“Greg really has an understanding of how small government works for the betterment of the community,” Feder said.
One of Brown’s achievements that stretches beyond Eureka Fire is his work to support firefighters diagnosed with cancer.
Brown, along with chiefs from across the state, put together the Missouri Fire Fighters Critical Illness Pool (MFFCIP) in 2021 to get cancer recognized as an occupational injury for firefighters in the state.
MFFCIP helps patients cover out-of-pocket expenses for cancers normally excluded in workers’ compensation but found to be abnormally high in firefighters.
Brown now acts as chair for the pool.
“It’s all about public service; it’s not about just the individual,” he said. “When you get into public service, whether it’s as a firefighter, police officer, paramedic or elected official, it’s not because you’re going to be a multimillionaire. It’s truly about serving the community.”
Brown said he will continue to work after he retires from Eureka Fire.
“I’m talking to a couple of different organizations right now about some potential positions that will be a lot different than what I’m doing right now,” he said. “I’m going to still work and keep busy, but it’s time to do something else.”
Feder said Brown will be missed after he retires, but he doesn’t expect Brown to “sit at home on the couch” for very long.
“As a person, he’s an unbelievable, stand-up guy,” Feder said. “As a fire chief, he’s served our community without ever expecting anything in return.
“He deserves all of the accolades he gets.”