BROOKINGS Some people are born already seemingly destined for greatness perhaps as scientists, educators, financiers or a myriad of other possibilities.
In Jeremy Scotts case, it was as a firefighter and, at the Aug. 26 meeting of the Brookings City Council, his promotion to the Brookings Fire Departments deputy fire chief position was formally recognized.
This is a great honor, BFD Chief Troy Hughes said while introducing Scott. My first opportunity to meet Jeremy was maybe seven or eight, 10 months ago when I was first out in Brookings visiting, considering taking the job. Jeremy was one of the reasons that I said yes to the offer.
During the recruitment visit, Hughes spent a day with Scott seeing all of the fire stations, and was impressed by his extensive knowledge of fire department matters especially regarding the ins-and-outs of the trucks, their ages and when they needed to be replaced.
Perhaps the intimacy of Scotts knowledge shouldn’t be surprising, especially for the folks who know him through and through. After all, hes been volunteering with the BFD for 25 years, and has also been a city employee for 19 years. If that isnt the definition of dedication, then what is?
(Jeremy) just had a passion for the fire department, he had a passion for the people, Hughes said. Its a great honor to be here with Jeremy and hes really a great part of the department been that for a long time and will be into the future.
Scott spoke as well, thanking Hughes, City Manager Paul Briseno for the opportunity to fill the position and serve the community while also offering a bit of humor along the way.
I graduated from SDSU back Im going to age myself a little bit in 1998, he said to laughter. I had an opportunity back in Minnesota, so I had left for, I dont know, three months I suppose. It just didnt feel like home, so I came back.
He and his wife, DeShawn Scott, settled down and started their family in Brookings. Among other things, she worked for the city as its deputy city clerk for a year or so, leaving in July 2024.
Briseno noted that Jeremy Scott has been filling a leadership role within the BFD for quite some time, including the transition between fire chiefs from Pete Bolzer to Hughes.
There were a lot of calls that Jeremy was running, Briseno said. Many times we were all asleep I think DeShawn probably tried to sleep at times, too and Jeremy would always be there at the call.
He continued, Hes earned the support of the volunteers quite some time ago but, more importantly, the entire organization and community. Were really excited to have you here as the deputy under the leadership of Troy and excited for the future of our fire department.
Hughes reiterated Brisenos sentiments, bringing up one of the recent monthly meetings with the BFDs volunteers, where there were 45 to 50 people in the room.
I asked Jeremy to step out. I said, You know, I just want to get some feedback from the volunteers. The praise went on for well over an hour, Hughes recalled. We finally had to say, Man, thats enough. Weve heard it and its great. We brought him back in and he came into a standing ovation in that room. It was a proud moment for him and me, too.
Scotts formal pinning ceremony was noted on the BFDs Facebook page on July 23.
The event highlighted Jeremys dedication to public service and reflected the departments commitment to honoring leadership transitions with pride and tradition, according to the post. The presence of both the current and former chiefs underscored the departments continuity and strong support for Jeremy as he assumes this critical leadership role.
Leave a Reply