By Fischer Genau DIGITAL MEDIA LEAD
On Aug. 27, the Big Sky Fire Department announced it had selected longtime Big Sky firefighter Jeff Bolton as its new fire chief. Bolton replaces Dustin Tetrault, who retired on June 4 after over a decade serving Big Sky and two years in that position.
“It’s an incredible honor,” Bolton told EBS. “I care very deeply about this organization, the people that work here, and the community here. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with this position, and obviously the significant challenges that we have facing us right now, financially and operationally and organizationally. But I’m excited to work through all the challenges.”
According to a BSFD press release, a national search was conducted for a new fire chief after Tetrault announced his retirement. However, the board did not find someone who they felt “possessed the desired qualities for the position or for our community” in their search. Bolton had been serving as the interim fire chief since June 4, and the board said that he “demonstrated the qualities sought…for both our department and our community.”
“We have great confidence that Chief Bolton will be an excellent leader and will serve the department and our community at the highest level,” the release stated.
Originally from Hailey, Idaho, Bolton has worked for BSFD since 2017. Before that, he spent several years working for the Central Valley Fire District in Belgrade. He was promoted to division chief of operations in 2025 and held that role until being appointed interim fire chief.
Troubled times, hopeful future
Bolton assumes the position during a difficult time for the fire department. In late 2025, BSFD discovered a tax error made by Gallatin County that resulted in the overdraw of $8.3 million over four years in double-counted voter-approved mills. As a result, locals saw a cut of up to 50% in their fire department taxes, and BSFD immediately faced a $2.3 million budget shortfall year-over-year. In response, the fire department cut spending dramatically. They did everything from eliminating snow plowing and taking pay cuts to reducing the amount of paper they purchased.
Bolton said one of his main priorities as fire chief is achieving financial stability for the BSFD. He said this is especially important as Big Sky’s demand for emergency services continues to grow.
“We’ve got to make sure that our funding models support the level of service that our community expects of us,” Bolton said.
Another challenge Bolton will face as fire chief is the operation of Station Three, the newly constructed fire station at the primary entrance to Spanish Peaks Mountain Club. Before the tax error was discovered, BSFD planned to install four firefighters and firefighter paramedics there. Although the budget has since changed staffing abilities, Bolton said he is determined to staff the new station “as much as humanly possible.”
With 10 years of experience with the Big Sky Fire Department under him as he steps into his new role as fire chief, Bolton said he’s excited to continue serving the community.
“I learned a lot from Chief Tetrault,” Bolton said. “His big focus was being transparent, which I want to continue, and ultimately, remembering the reason why we’re here is to serve…We’re here because we care and we want to do the right thing for the community.”
Bolton also emphasized the importance of everyone else working with him at the fire department.
“Somebody’s got to be the fire chief, but ultimately, us as an organization is only as good as all the members here,” he said. “It takes a collective approach for us to get to where we need to be.”
