On Monday, Chief Greg Werner began his tenure as the head of the Athens Fire/Rescue Department. With over 23 years of experience as a firefighter, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the position.

Chief Werner was hired after a thorough search by the City and previously served as the Assistant Fire Chief of Murphy Fire Rescue in Murphy, Texas. He also instructs fire officer classes for the leadership development program at the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service in College Station. His teaching experience will be valuable in his new role.

“I believe in developing your officers,” he said. “In return, they’ll develop the people below them, so I spend a lot of time developing the shift officers.”

Chief Werner plans to establish strong connections within the community. 

“We are going to take care of citizens in emergency situations and non-emergency situations. We want citizens to see our firefighters as approachable,” he said.

If you see Chief Werner around Athens, don't hesitate to say hello and introduce yourself. He looks forward to getting to know the community he serves and the people he works with daily.