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New fire chief Greg Brook emphasizes partnership, flood readiness and volunteer training
Summary
Greg Brook, the newly hired fire chief for the Binonguru Fire Protection District, introduced himself to the Vernonia City Council and said he will prioritize interagency partnerships, volunteer recruitment and a shared flood-response plan; he invited the public to a Dec. 14 pancake feed at the new station.
Greg Brook, the newly hired fire chief for the Binonguru Fire Protection District, introduced himself to the Vernonia City Council on Nov. 18 and said he will focus on partnerships with neighboring agencies and on preparing for future flood events. "My name is Greg Brook, and I am, the newest fire chief," he told the council and attendees.
Brook described a long career that included work in St. Helens and Westport and said he does not plan to dwell on past conflicts between Vernonia fire and Vernonia police. He said building cooperative training and communication is a priority: "Whatever kind of partnership we have, I wanna make sure that that is kept very healthy, expand upon as needed, work together," Brook said.
Brook said the department recently moved into a new fire station and invited the council and public to a community pancake feed on the morning of Dec. 14. He also described his role as a 0.5-time chief and that he expects to rely on trained staff and increasing volunteer ranks for day-to-day responses. "We're getting an ever increasing volunteer ranks, which is important to all of us... we train them to handle things," he said.
The council received the introduction during the presentation portion of its meeting; no formal action was required. Brook encouraged councilors and residents to contact him with questions and emphasized working together ahead of anticipated flood events in the region.
