Tusayan is looking for a new Fire Chief. After more than two decades in the fire service and more than a decade leading the Tusayan Fire District, Fire Chief Greg Brush is retiring.

Brush, who began volunteering with the Tusayan Fire District in 2004 and became its full-time chief in 2015, said the decision came after 23 years in the fire service.

“I just thought it’d be a nice break to, you know, try to enjoy the good things in life,” Brush said in an interview.

Before joining Tusayan full time, Brush also served as a captain with the Grand Canyon Fire Department while volunteering with the Tusayan district.

His tenure as chief has coincided with significant growth for the department, which serves a community unlike most its size.

While Tusayan has an official population of about 590, the fire district sits at the doorstep of Grand Canyon National Park and must contend with the demands created by millions of visitors to the area each year.

Brush said funding that level of service has consistently been one of the department’s biggest challenges.

“Money’s always, you know, one of the biggest challenges any fire district or department’s going to face,” he said.

Property taxes provide the foundation for fire district funding, Brush said, but the community’s small permanent population and enormous visitor volume create demands far beyond what the local tax base alone could support.

Brush credited the Town of Tusayan with helping the district meet those demands through financial assistance.

“Thanks to the Town of Tusayan, they help supplement our income, which they’re under no obligation to do,” Brush said. “But that’s really the reason why we’re able to do what we do.”

The growth of the department during Brush’s tenure illustrates the impact of that support.

Tusayan Mayor Clarinda Vail thanked Brush for his years of service at a recent Tusayan Fire District meeting,"For 11 years, you have been the steady shield protecting this community, running toward danger, fires and vvehicle crashes- when others run away. You did not just lead our fire district; you built a culture of bravery, integrity, and deep compassion. You have saved lives, mentored the next generation, and left an undeniable mark on our town. On behalf of our entire community, thank you for your sacrifices, your outstanding service, and your unwavering friendship. We wish you a healthy, peaceful, well-deserved retirement. You will always be a hero to our town."

When Brush came to Tusayan full time in 2015, he recalled the department having about three full-time employees, supplemented by part-time firefighters and volunteers. Today, he said, the department has 11 full-time employees.

The department has also upgraded its equipment.

Brush specifically pointed to the district’s current first-out fire engine, purchased with financial assistance from the town. The engine replaced an apparatus that had been in service for more than 20 years and was experiencing significant mechanical problems.

“That was a godsend from them,” Brush said of the town’s support. “Our last one was on its knees before, just mechanically.”

He said the combination of the town’s ongoing financial support and assistance purchasing the new engine has been “tremendous” for the department.

The Tusayan Fire District is now beginning the process of selecting Brush’s successor.

Brush said the position is expected to be advertised externally and that he may participate in the interview process if district officials want his involvement.

“That’s in process right now,” he said.

For whoever takes over, Brush said understanding the character of the Tusayan and Grand Canyon area will be important.

His advice for the next chief goes beyond budgets, equipment and emergency response.

“I think for anybody that thrives here in the Grand Canyon-Tusayan area, you’ve got to love the incredible place that we live,” Brush said.

It is not big-city living, he said, but the area offers something very different — forests, the Grand Canyon, a favorable climate and immediate access to the outdoors.

“You have to be able to appreciate the outdoors here,” Brush said. “And I think most of the folks here that thrive really do embrace that.”

After 23 years in the fire service, Brush said he is ready for a change of pace.

For the Tusayan Fire District, his retirement also marks the end of a decade-long period in which the department grew in staffing, upgraded its equipment and worked to keep pace with the demands of protecting a small community that hosts millions of visitors each year.