Incoming Wenatchee Fire Chief Reflects on Career and Homecoming

For Wenatchee Valley Fire Department’s incoming chief Jon Perry, the journey to the fire service started on the baseball diamond — not at a fire station.

Perry, who officially begins as chief June 1, said his roots in the Wenatchee Valley run deep. He grew up across the street from outgoing Chief Brian Brett, and several members of his extended family have served as first responders in the region, including cousin Dan Reierson, the former assistant chief of the East Wenatchee Police Department.

READ MORE: Wenatchee Valley Fire Department Welcomes New Fire Chief

Baseball Was Perry’s First Passion

Still, Perry said firefighting was never part of the original plan.

As a kid, he dreamed of playing baseball professionally and played for Eastmont High School. Eventually, he earned a spot at Emporia State University, where he played Division II baseball and became a two-time All-American.

“We didn’t have any firefighters in the family,” Perry said. “I was pretty successful at baseball. That was priority number one.”

From Teaching to Emergency Medicine

After high school, Perry attended Big Bend Community College before heading to Kansas in 1996. While pursuing baseball, he also prepared for another possible career path: special education teaching.

After moving to Kansas, Perry volunteered as a teacher in a rural community before shifting toward emergency medicine. He attended paramedic school and spent three years working as an EMT in the Kansas City area.

“I fell in love with the adrenaline part of the job,” Perry said. “I quickly decided I wanted to be in emergency services.”

Building a Career in the Fire Service

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Perry said a friend who became a firefighter helped inspire his next career move. He would go on to spend 23 years in the Kansas City fire service.

Even while building his career in the Midwest, Perry said he always hoped to return closer to home. Much of his family still lives in the Wenatchee Valley, and he spent nearly a decade looking for the right opportunity to move back.

That opportunity eventually came in Idaho Falls, where he joined the fire department as training chief in 2018 before being promoted to deputy chief in 2020. Though he ultimately left teaching behind, Perry said the experience continues to shape his leadership style.

“It’s never about rank and title for me,” Perry said. “You want to develop future leaders who will replace you. That’s important.”

How Wildfire Seasons Have Changed in the Valley

As someone who grew up in the valley, Perry said he has watched the region’s firefighting challenges evolve over the decades — especially when it comes to wildfire season.

“I grew up watching borate planes fly over the valley as a kid,” Perry said. “When I was a kid, wildland season was July and August. That wildland season is now more like the beginning of April to the end of September. That’s something that has changed, and I’ll have to adjust to.”

Perry’s Vision for the Department’s Future

Perry credited Brett for the department’s leadership over the past eight years, but said his goal is to continue building on that foundation and leave the department stronger than he found it.

He added that he hopes this role will be the final chapter of his fire service career before retirement.