Assistant St. Paul Fire Chief Greg Duren, one of the longest-serving paramedics in the department’s history, will serve as the city’s interim fire chief, Mayor Melvin Carter announced Tuesday.

Chief Butch Inks retired Tuesday after serving 31 years as a St. Paul firefighter and Duren takes over on Wednesday.

Greg Duren (Courtesy of the St. Paul Fire Department)

Inks and Duren joined the St. Paul Fire Department together in 1994.

Duren has served in every rank in the department. He was appointed deputy fire chief in spring 2024 and has served as assistant fire chief of Emergency Medical Services since August, supporting operations for the state’s busiest fire department-based EMS system.

Inks was fire chief since 2019 and Carter announced in July he’d appointed him to a second, six-year term.

Inks has said his decision to retire was not about the election of a new mayor, but about being able to continue doing the physical work of a firefighter after shoulder-replacement surgery in November.

He originally injured his shoulder while working at a major fire when he was a captain. Though Inks is no longer putting out fires, he said he believes St. Paul’s fire chief should be able to carry out all the duties of a firefighter.

New mayor to decide on next fire chief

Carter worked closely with Mayor-elect Kaohly Her when appointing Duren, according to Carter’s office. Her’s inauguration is Friday.

Duren will serve as interim chief as Her’s administration works to appoint a permanent fire chief. He said he doesn’t plan to apply for the job.

Her “is committed to a fair and transparent process for determining the next fire chief,” said Matt Wagenius, Her’s campaign and transition team spokesperson. She felt strongly that the interim chief shouldn’t be someone seeking the permanent position, according to Wagenius.

Duren comes from a St. Paul firefighting family. His father worked for the department for 20 years and retired as fire captain in 2000; his brother is a captain who’s worked for the department for 14 years.

“Interim Chief Duren leads with a people-first mindset, prioritizing both the residents of St. Paul and the members of this department,” Carter said in a statement. “I am confident he will guide the fire department with integrity, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to keeping our community safe during this transition.”

Related Articles

Bicyclist, 26, dies after he’s struck by driver in St. Paul

St. Paul firefighter who died days after academy graduation remembered for ‘all in’ mentality

David Brom’s supervised release hearing set for Jan. 13

Crash kills 2 in Carlton County, sheriff reports

Midair helicopter crash in New Jersey leaves 1 dead and another critically injured