MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After more than four decades in the fire service, including nine years leading the Hutchinson Fire Department, Fire Chief Steve Beer is preparing to retire later this month, closing out a career marked by cultural change, modernization and national recognition.
Beer, who will retire March 27, said his decision comes after 41 years in a profession that has long been part of his family.
“It’s in my blood,” Beer said. “My dad was an assistant fire chief, my brother is an assistant chief, and other members of my family have served. That public safety aspect is what really started everything for me.”
Beer spent much of his career in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, before being hired as Hutchinson’s 11th fire chief in 2017. When he arrived, he said one of the first challenges was addressing morale and reshaping the department’s culture.
“When I came in here, we needed to change the culture of HFD,” Beer said. “I was told early on to ‘shut the doors and don’t be seen in public.’ That’s the opposite of where we are today.”
Under Beer’s leadership, the department shifted toward greater community engagement, encouraging firefighters to be visible at events, schools and around town. He pointed to initiatives like the department’s annual school supply drive — which raises roughly $90,000 in just a few days — as evidence of stronger community connections.
“We were terrible at telling our story,” Beer said. “Now we make sure the public knows what we do day in and day out.”
During his tenure, the Hutchinson Fire Department achieved ISO Class 1 status — the highest possible rating used by most insurance companies — placing it among a select group of departments nationwide. The department is also internationally accredited, a distinction held by only a limited number of agencies worldwide.
Beer credited collaboration with other city departments, including water and dispatch, for helping achieve those benchmarks.
“Everything we do now is data-driven,” he said. “Every decision is based on facts, and that transparency helps both leadership and the public understand what we’re doing.”
Modernizing the department’s fleet and infrastructure was another priority. Beer said the city moved from a reactive maintenance model to a proactive one, extending the life of fire apparatus and saving significant taxpayer dollars.
He also oversaw the development of a new fire station on North Main Street, improving response times by relocating key equipment, including a ladder truck that previously faced delays reaching parts of the city.
“Everything we do is about response times,” Beer said. “That station puts us in a better position to serve the community.”
In addition, Beer helped expand the department’s training facility, emphasizing continued investment in personnel.
“You can have all the equipment in the world, but your people are your number one asset,” he said. “Training is where it starts.”
As he prepares for retirement, Beer said he plans to split time between Arizona and Wisconsin, while returning to Kansas during the fall.
We asked Beer what the one thing that you won't miss or will miss the most?
"Oh, it's got to be the long hours. You know, you're never off. And I think that's one of the biggest things, is you're never off nights, weekends, stuff like that." Said Beer, "Like yesterday, we had three brush fires, one at night again. So, and then I think the last thing you know, what I'm really not going to miss are the Dan Demings of the world. I am all for people's opinions, but when the facts and the other side the story is not told, it's flat out wrong.