After almost eight years with BSFD, Megaard will be remembered as a kind, compassionate, composed mentor
By Jen Clancey DIGITAL PRODUCER
When Greg Megaard first interviewed for a firefighting position, he knew the job was meant for him. But like most dreams, it came with challenges.
“I tested for the first time and didn’t finish number one,” said Megaard, retiring chief of the Big Sky Fire Department, adding that the Bozeman Fire Department was only hiring one person at the time, in 1998. Missing the cut didn’t matter. “From that day forward, I knew this is what I was put on this earth to do.”
Immediately after the rejection he asked the interview panel how he could improve his chances of working with BFD, and they recommended he start as a volunteer firefighter. This process led him to his final public service position, which ends this month, as fire chief of the Big Sky Fire Department.
Megaard joined the Bozeman Fire Department in 1998 and climbed the ranks until July 2016, when he transitioned to a position at the Big Sky Fire Department. When former fire chief William Farhat retired in 2020, Megaard took on the position for the next four years. During Megaard’s leadership, the Big Sky Fire Department, among thousands of fire stations across the country, faced brand new obstacles spurred by a worldwide pandemic.
“I try not to get emotional, but it’s tough not to. I love what I do. I love my job and I am so proud to be a firefighter. It’s the greatest job in the world.”
Greg Megaard, Chief of Big Sky Fire Department
“Overall, I’d say we were extremely proactive right out of the gate,” Megaard said, sitting in his office in Big Sky. Shelves of his desk behind him are near-empty with a little over a week to go in his role. “Nobody can plan for a worldwide pandemic. At that time, when it first came out, we didn’t even know how big this was.”
Under Megaard’s leadership, the fire department took on strict precautions—for the wellbeing of firefighters and the community alike. The department brought in dinners from local businesses to the station for firefighters, incorporated temperature checks and proper protocol in compliance with best practices at the time. If a firefighter was exposed, they were welcome to sleep and quarantine away from family at the department’s second station at the base of Lone Mountain.
“It’s amazing what can get done when you have great people around you, and you empower and trust them to do their job,” Megaard said of the time period, saying that although he missed interacting with the community, he was proud with how the fire department adapted and communicated with Big Sky.
As restrictions began to lift, Megaard remembers how excited the department was to resume training—many stations in the U.S. had taken an entire year off training. He also remembers seeing how Big Sky grew, from his first year in 2016 through 2023 and understood why—who wouldn’t fall in love with Montana?
“Our shoulder seasons every year get smaller and smaller,” Megaard said. “We’re not seeing that drop off like we used to from a call standpoint. Every year since I’ve been here, our calls have increased.”
The fire department has worked to meet those increasing needs. Battalion Chief and EMS Coordinator Stephen Pruiett noted how Megaard led the charge on implementing Big Sky’s own fire training facility. Along with the training facility, Megaard organized the foundation for BSFD’s future station three, and a new fire headquarters station on the same property as the fire training space.
And in an area known for its winding mountain roads, steep incline grades and fire hydrants buried in snowbanks, a strong, synchronized department is crucial. The closest mutual aid is the Yellowstone Mountain Club Rural Fire District, and beyond that, it’s a 45-minute trip for nearby stations to assist in emergencies.
“We deal with a lot of different situations—we’re a young fire department, we’re still growing … and his experience brings a lot of insight to the table and helps us in leading our decisions,” Pruiett said.
Pruiett noted that Megaard’s impact one-on-one as a friend and peer has been invaluable: “I’ll forever be grateful for him, for the part he’s played in my career.”
Moving on from 31 years of service
Megaard is most proud of his fire department “brothers and sisters ” remaining safe throughout his years of service.
“That means everything to me as a fire chief—that throughout my whole entire career, anybody I’ve worked with has gone home at the end of their shift, to their family,” Megaard said.
He praised his staff for their love of serving and helping others. While he plans to remain in the area, he said he’ll miss seeing them day-to-day.
Teammates will remember his composure in the face of any circumstance. “I saw him tackle each unprecedented situation with maturity, calmness, and really thinking everything through,” said Seth Barker, deputy chief of operations. Barker added that Megaard showed “kindness and compassion to his team.”
“He’s been a very strong force in my life and a very powerful mentor for me.”
Megaard notified the fire district board of his retirement six months ago. “You think six months is a long time,” he said. He had just finished one of his last operations meetings a few minutes before his conversation with EBS. “I said this at the end of our meeting this morning, ‘Man has time gone fast.’”
“I try not to get emotional, but it’s tough not to. I love what I do. I love my job and I am so proud to be a firefighter. It’s the greatest job in the world.”
He thanked the community for their ongoing support and his team at the station and district that has trusted him as a leader and teammate. Lastly, Megaard thinks of his family: “the support they’ve given for me to live my dream— I can’t repay them.”
Megaard glanced around his office and moved toward a couple of unsealed boxes in the corner. Inside is his collection of challenge coins—firefighters accumulate dozens of these in their years of service. They used to sit in display cases on a bookshelf facing his now vacant desk.
His uniform is ironed and hanging on the back of his door ahead of his retirement party the next day, May 23.
Megaard said he knows now is the right time to pass the department to new hands, ready to handle the changes to come.
“I’m going out, in my opinion, on top. And I’m very proud of that.”
