Setting the Fire Department Up for Success

SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Rural Fire District welcomed their Interim Fire Chief Michael Greer Nov. 20. In the next six months, Greer will focus on organizing, streamlining and making things more efficient as well as bringing people back together.

Since he was seven years old, Greer has always said he wanted to become a doctor.

"Medicine has always fascinated me. I don't know if it was the science of it or the human side of it. It was just something I always wanted to do," said Greer.

Following high school graduation, a family-friend encouraged Greer to join the volunteer ambulance in Hamilton which he did in January 1993. His pursuit to become a medic came after arriving on the scene of an accident and not knowing what to do.

"As I started into this field, I remembered that feeling of 'I don't know how to handle this' and I didn't like it. I don't ever want to get caught feeling clueless or helpless," said Greer. "I've really put a lot of work into trying not to feel that way."

Greer has worked and volunteered in medical services ever since. He went to Afghanistan in June 2011 for two years. He started as a remote medic serving the contractor/civilian population on the military bases serving their ongoing primary and emergency care. He was promoted to Lead Medic and finally ended up as the Deputy Project Manager in administration.

While Greer loved being a medic, he found there were things he really enjoyed doing that he didn't have the opportunity to do as a medic.

Greer shared the story of riding in the back of an ambulance where he was tasked with transporting a patient from one hospital to another so the patient could have a heart catheter. The patient told Greer that he hadn't been told anything about what was happening to him or why he was being transported.

"So we just sat there for the next 20 minutes talking. I read up on the records they sent with me and I walked him through the whole process," said Greer. "By the time we hit the other hospital, he was almost in tears of appreciation to finally have known what was going on. That really moved me at the time. There are more ways to help someone than just making sure they don't die between here and when I drop them at the emergency room."

Greer returned in 2013 for medical school to pursue his dream of becoming a family practice doctor. He graduated from Atlantic University School of Medicine May 2017 as a Medical Doctor. He is hoping to find a residency this summer. He is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Health Education.

Greer said when he heard about the potential of serving as the interim chief in Seeley Lake, he thought he could provide some stability during the transition for the department while providing him with a steady income with flexibility for his residency interviews and potential residency placement.

"It was a win-win," said Greer. "[The position] provided me with something that I needed but allowed me to do something that I actually feel really good about doing and an opportunity to be a part of a community that I missed ever since I left."

Greer lived in Seeley Lake and volunteered with the department from May 2009-June 2011. He worked as a medic in Montana City, Cutbank and Kalispell volunteering on the Seeley Lake ambulance as much as possible.

While Greer's experience is primarily medical, his fire experience is mostly hands-on with the Lolo and Seeley Lake volunteer departments and with Evergreen Fire Rescue out of Kalispell. He is fully confident that with Captains Cory Calnan and Shawn Ellinghouse's expertise with fire and trusts they will make a good team.

Greer's first goal is solidifying the chain-of-command and streamlining policies and procedures within the department. A close second goal is making it fun to work with the department again.

Finally, Greer wants to get the department stable enough so the incoming chief will have an easy transition.

"I was able to come in with an unbiased opinion and no emotion about where we are at and what has been going on and yet familiarization with the department and already established relationships with the bulk of the department," said Greer. "I think that combined with my qualifications and my experience put me in a pretty ideal position to come in and very quickly work with people that I know. It has allowed me to make some pretty significant progress in a short time."

Greer said they are going to be working hard to make training more interesting and fun and plan to do more of it. They will continue their two-hour fire and medical trainings in the evenings during the week. Greer is looking forward to starting up the monthly Saturday training from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. again in January.

"The public is invited to come and hang out to get a feel for what we do, get to know some of the people and see if it is for you," said Greer who is also encouraging the volunteers to bring their family.

Greer will also be looking for new recruits. This includes possibly reinstating the cadet program and offering a 30-hour Firefighter 1 Structure firefighting course in March along with Greenough/Potomac and the Swan Valley departments.

Greer has helped plan a couple December events at the fire station. Everyone is invited to come for the Flu Shot Clinic and Health and Safety Fair Dec. 11 from 2:30-6 p.m. (more details in the Community Briefs). Saturday, Dec. 16 starting at 4:30 p.m. the department will also be hosting the SLFD Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration including bonfire, food, tree decorating, a visit from Santa Claus and a double-feature movie for the whole family (more details coming soon).

While Greer acknowledges that it may be "a tall order" to accomplish before his commitment ends mid-June of 2018, he hopes to have the department in a good place where information is centralized making for a smooth, easy hand-off to the next chief.

"I want to get people interested again. I want that old school feeling where the kids want to go hang out at the fire station and they get excited to see the fire truck," said Greer. "I want the community to believe in the fire department and want to support it so we can be there in the way they need, when they need."

For more information visit the website, http://www.seeleyfire.org, call the department 677-2400 or email Greer at slfd@seeleyfire.org.