A burning passion:
A 7-year veteran, he’s fire chief at age 25
Staff writer
When Colton Glenn became Peabody fire chief at age 25, he found himself leading a department in a town where he had fire trucks race down streets as a kid.
Despite seven years of firefighting experience, Glenn is one of the youngest fire chiefs leading a volunteer department in Kansas.
“I never in a million years thought I’d end up becoming fire chief when I joined,” he said.
Glenn joined the department at 18. A lifelong Peabody resident, he became interested in firefighting early.
“I’ve always been intrigued by firefighters,” he said. “Even in early elementary school, I was daydreaming of being a firefighter.”
Taking over the department at a young age was daunting, he said.
“Stepping into this role at such a young age with only seven years of experience was extremely nerve-racking,” Glenn said.
He credits former chief Mark Penner with helping prepare him for leadership. Penner often kept Glenn close on emergency scenes and talked through how he handled situations.
“I learned a lot from that,” Glenn said. “Even after the change in leadership, he answered my questions and gave me the confidence needed to make the next decision.”
The transition was eased by the department’s relatively young roster, Glenn said. Only a handful of firefighters had more years of service than he did when he became chief.
Serving as a captain beforehand also helped build trust.
“Working the firegrounds together established good relationships with most of our guys,” he said.
One lesson Glenn quickly learned about leadership is that difficult decisions often bring criticism.
“No matter what decisions you make or how good your intentions are, someone will be upset,” Glenn said. “You just have to make the best decision you can with the information you have for the good of the situation and our community.”
Accountability, he said, is critical during emergency calls.
“When your lives are on the line, you have to be confident in the person next to you,” Glenn said. “They have to have the training, the knowledge, and follow the systems we have in place.”
Recruiting volunteers is one of the biggest challenges for small-town departments, Glenn said.
“The bucket of men and women willing to dedicate their time for free to something that demands so much effort is small,” he said.
Volunteer firefighters must complete training and obtain certification through the University of Kansas, Glenn said.
The department strives to operate like a professional agency. Unlike full-time departments, however, volunteers respond from wherever they are when the pager sounds.
“A lot of the time when the radio pages us, we’re in bed, having dinner with our families, at work, sometimes even in the shower,” Glenn said. “We’re doing everything we can to get to your emergency as quickly and safely as possible.”
Despite the challenges, the dedication of firefighters he leads continues to impress Glenn.
“I have the honor of being chief of such a young group of guys who are determined to become the best we can be together,” he said. “They’re willing to train, take classes after work, and keep showing up to keep our community as safe as possible.”
For Glenn, the mission remains simple—protecting the town he has called home his entire life.