Glauner named full-time Brunswick fire chief

BRUNSWICK — City Manager and Safety Director Carl DeForest announced Thursday morning that Greg Glauner has been chosen as the city's new full-time fire chief. Glauner, formerly the assistant chief under Josh Erskine, was named interim chief in late May following Erskine's retirement. Erskine had served with the department for 19 years and had been chief since 2018. Prior to being named Brunswick's assistant chief in March 2019, Glauner had 35 years of experience and spent time as assistant chief with the Cleveland Fire Department until his retirement from that position in April 2018. That depth of experience is what DeForest said helped Glauner stick out from the two other internal candidates that were vying for the job. "He's got a world of experience," DeForest said. "He's a leader, he embraces the idea of being a civil servant, he likes giving back to the community and helping others, he's level-headed, empathetic, caring (and) a top-notch guy. We're lucky to have him." Glauner said he was "a little shocked" and "surprised" following Erskine's announcement he was retiring and taking a position with a fire department in Washington state. He praised Erskine for laying the groundwork of a successful department and said his knowledge of the inner workings of the city was "invaluable." "Chief Erskine was an individual that always had his head in the game, his heart in the city and always had a master plan or vision for the future," Glauner said. "We lost a lot in his departure." Now, Glauner said he looks forward to continuing his current efforts in a full-time capacity and said the staff at Brunswick is a talented and dedicated one to work with. "I'm glad to be in a position to make a difference and I think we have a really solid fire department with very aggressive, educated and professional firefighters," Glauner said. "They do a good job every day. The job is more about that individual that carries a medic bag into an emergency or drags a hose line into a fire. "My position is one where I can support them and provide them with the tools they need, the education to get the job done and the right equipment to keep them safe." That education is one of several things Glauner hopes to continue pushing as chief. "There are a lot of issues that I would like to address," Glauner said. "More education for the firefighters, more equipment for things like water rescues (and) ladders for taller buildings. We're going to get a new medic unit here shortly, that's important to have reliable equipment. We're in the process of revising (our standard operating guidelines) and implementing a new program so they are in line with all of the others nationwide. There's a lot to be done." Contact reporter Jack Kopanski at (330) 721-4063 or jkopanski@medina-gazette.com.