MISSOULA — Missoula Fire Chief Gordy Hughes has announced that he'll retire on June 30 after spending 32 years in the fire service.
“Chief Hughes has had an exceptional career with the Missoula Fire Department,” Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis said. “He leaves an incredible legacy for the department and the City.”
Hughes grew up in Missoula and graduated from Loyola Sacred Heart High School. He joined the Missoula Fire Department in August of 1993 as a rookie firefighter after serving in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Hughes was studying wildlife biology at the University of Montana when the fire department called with a job opening.
He served 13 years as a firefighter before moving to the Fire Prevention Bureau as an inspector. He became Fire Marshal in 2011 and Assistant Chief in 2017.
Mayor John Engen hired him as Fire Chief in January 2022.
“Serving the citizens of Missoula has been a profound honor and privilege,” Chief Hughes said. “I have had the pleasure of working alongside many exceptional individuals, and I am fortunate to have made lifelong friendships in the community and in our fire department.”
Chief Hughes is thanking the department’s staff for their unwavering support, loyalty and dedication.
“Their commitment has not only made my job as chief more fulfilling but has also greatly contributed to the safety of our city and success of the organization,” he said. “I am proud to have worked alongside such an extraordinary team.”Under
During Hughes' tenure, the Missoula Fire Department saw a fire levy in 2024, and the department also received a $7 million federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.
The money is being used to grow the department’s ability to serve Missoula residents.
Hughes says while his decision to retire wasn't an easy one to make, he has high confidence in the Missoula Fire Department's future.
“I am excited about the department’s continued growth and success,” he said. "With the momentum we have built, I know the MFD will continue to thrive in its service to Missoula.”
“The City of Missoula and the Fire Department are grateful for Chief Hughes’ years of dedicated service,” said
Ward 5 Missoula City Council representative Stacie Anderson, who chairs the Council’s Public Safety, Health & Operations Committee. “He will be greatly missed by both his colleagues and the residents and visitors he has served.”
