HELENA — Corey Parker has been named Helena's fire chief following the retirement of Jon Campbell, starting his new role on Monday.
Parker says the hiring process for the position was very thorough, roughly a month, with multiple rounds of interviews and meetings with the city manage to find the right fit.
Parker comes to Helena from Virginia, bringing more than 35 years of experience in fire and emergency services.
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“So you look for that work, where can I go and work and be part of an organization where together we can build on something and move forward,” Parker explained.
He says his career started as a recruit — working his way up through operations, EMS, training, communications, and everything in between.
“Don’t wear one hat 25 times. Wear 25 hats one time,” Parker said, “and I really try to take that to heart and really learn a lot about how the business works."
Parker holds a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University and says service has always been part of his life.
“It's in my blood,” Parker stated. “My dad was a firefighter. I've been around it since I was a little kid. Two of my children are in the fire department. My third child, she's in the police department.”
After arriving in Montana last week, Parker says Helena stood out as a place where he could help build on the department’s future, using his past experiences as a guide.
“This just seemed like that perfect fit,” he said. “There's things to get done, and I can bring some of that to the table and help.”
Some of those things include Station 3’s construction, a remodel of Station 2, and the upcoming public safety mill levy.
As he settles into the role, Parker says one of his internal priorities is building a foundation with firefighters, staff, and the community.
“You know I am the outsider, I realize that, and I really want to start building a very strong relationship with them built on trust and respect,” he said.
Parker says he hopes people in Helena will see a department that’s connected to the community and prepared for the future, and looks forward to his future in the Queen City.
