'I feel lucky': Tom Greif doesn't let MS stop him from being Cd'A's fire chief

COEUR d'ALENE — When Tom Greif has a day off, one would expect him to unwind from the pressures of being Coeur d'Alene's fire chief. Perhaps spend a day golfing or fishing, two of his passions.

Which he might.

But disconnect? Even for a few hours?

He can't.

"Even if I go away for the week or go on vacation, I don't truly unplug. I don't feel like I can. I'm in a position now where I need to know what's going on," Greif said.

It's been more than six months since he stepped in to take the place of the well-liked Kenny Gabriel, who retired after 30 years with the department.

Greif oversees a department of about 70 people with an annual budget of nearly $13 million. Its four stations respond to about 10,000 calls, mostly medical, a year.

That kind of responsibility might make one tense and serious. Greif, though, is relaxed and friendly.

The former deputy fire chief was chosen from among four internal candidates.

"The best part about the whole process was the city had the confidence to stay in house," Greif said.

He recalls the phone call from City Administrator Troy Tymesen telling him he got the job.

"I was in shock a little bit," Greif said. "I've been working toward this for many years."

The 52-year-old joined the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department in 1997 and as they say, climbed the ladder.

His role today, he says, is not to be a boss that issues orders, but to get firefighters what they need to do their job well.

Community relationships are critical, too.

"People need to know me. When it's time for a general obligation bond, I need to have those relationships, I need to have the support of those people to vote yes," he said.

Greif emphasizes he is part of a citywide team and is surrounded by smart people.

"Everybody's jobs are important," he said.

Tom Greif overcame an unexpected challenge shortly before his 50th birthday, when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the central nervous system.

He struggled with it initially, mentally, emotionally, physically. He could have retired.

But he fought the good fight and credits the support of family and friends, and medical professionals, for seeing him through.

He's even thankful for having MS, and said it's given him a new perspective on life.

"I feel like I'm back to a point where I don't think about it as much. But it gave me a different perspective on this job. It's like you know what, I'm not working here to get to retirement," he said. "I feel very lucky to be the fire chief and I don't look at retirement as when I can start enjoying life. I feel lucky coming here every day to be the fire chief."

Greif grew up in the Spokane area. He attended Whitworth University and was a standout catcher on the baseball team for three years.

His father, Mike Greif, was a fire captain with the Spokane Valley Fire Department. He was a strong influence on his son before his death at age 63 in 2010.

"When I first came into administration, I called him every morning. Personnel challenges, budget challenges. I would bounce everything off him," Tom Greif said.

Greif worked closely with Gabriel for several years, and praises his leadership and guidance for a smooth transition.

"The best part is it was a well-oiled machine when I got it. I didn't have to come in and fix a bunch of things, didn't have to change a lot of things. I got to just look at things from a different level," he said.

Greif says firefighters go beyond the call of duty. They do the little things that don't get attention, like doing safety skits at schools, checking on someone after work hours, shoveling a walkway or returning a rental truck for a family.

"They see us going down the street with lights and sirens. But they don't see all the stuff we do behind the scenes," he said. "You expected us to show up and take you to the hospital put a fire out, but we want to give you something you didn't expect."

Now, his attention is on preparing for growth. Greif is in the process of finding personnel for a new ambulance slated to start up in January, and a new fire station is not far down the road.

It's not about what Tom Greif wants.

"It's vision of the people that work here and the people that live here that are going to help us do a strategic plan that we're going to start working on after the first of the year," he said.

Like his predecessor, Greif deflects credit. But when asked about his strengths, he cited dedication to the city of Coeur d'Alene, his knowledge of the fire department and his ties to Kootenai County.

Greif and his wife, Cathy, live in Post Falls, have been married 27 years and have two daughters.

"I am invested here. I'm not leaving," he said.

Taking on MS has only made him more determined to stay the course and be an ambassador for the disease.

It will not, he says, keep him from the role that he loves.

"I want people to know that you can still live your life," he said. "You can still have a job, you can still have prominent roles in that community."