'It just feels like home to me': New Wenatchee Valley Fire Department Chief Jon Perry on serving valley

Former Chief Brian Brett handed over his command vehicle keys to new Fire Chief Jon Perry on June 2.

Perry is an East Wenatchee native, who is coming in to serve the valley after his tenure in Idaho Falls as Deputy Chief of Operations from 2020 to 2025. Perry always knew that his goal was to end up back home to serve his community in any way he could.

"I was realizing that someday I would like to be a fire chief and move back up to the northwest," he said. "I just discovered that Wenatchee was looking for a fire chief, and I've only been telling people there's only one fire department in the whole country I would have applied for and that was Wenatchee."

Perry and his wife Jen have close connections to being back home with both of them growing up in the valley.

"Just having that opportunity to be chief is very special to me," Perry said. "Not only to serve the community but my family as well."

The shift to becoming the chief of his home department is both exciting and turbulent. But Perry has some help in his change from the former chief.

"I basically grew up across the schoolyard from Chief Brett," he said. "To be able to take the reins from someone you know, I feel fortunate to still have him here to kind of help me with the transition."

It was in December when the WVFD announced its search for a new fire chief, after Brett had served the Wenatchee Valley for over 30 years in the department.

Perry worked a majority of his career in the Midwest near Kansas City, but he never stayed too far from home. He and his family would take annual trips back to the valley in the summer months to visit family back home.

"I've always referred to Wenatchee as my home. I'm married to a Wenatchee girl. Every year of my life I've been in the valley even though I've lived away for quite a while now," Perry said. "But driving around is no different than 1985 when I was driving in high school. Coming back, it just feels like being home to me."

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