Monarch Fire Chief to Retire at Year's End

After 44 years of service to the , Fire Chief Cliff Biele will retire, effective Dec. 31.

“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do as a kid. I was around the fire service all my life."

Biele's childhood wish came true; he followed in his dad’s footsteps by becoming a firefighter and eventually the fire chief.

Beiele began as a volunteer in the Monarch district when his father was fire chief. He spent three years volunteering before formally beginning his 44-year long career in the district, which covers Chesterfield and parts of Wildwood, Ballwin, Clarkson Valley, Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights and unincorporated St. Louis County.

Before Biele became chief, he also served as an engineer, captain, acting fire marshall, training officer, assistant chief, acting chief and then district fire chief, according to a district news release. His father passed away around the time Biele got the job of assistant fire chief, he said. 

“I’m just glad I could come in and do my part to help people because that’s always been a goal of mine,” he said.

“I guess I have emotion both ways. When you put in as much time as I have in a service like this, you’re going to miss it. It’s a situation where I’m at a point in my life where I need to retire.”

At the July 19 board meeting, Monarch Board President Kim Evans said the board is still discussing the criteria it will use to hire the future fire chief.

The district hired Grant Cooper and Associates to head the search for the new chief. Biele said he believes current Monarch employees are going to apply for the position and expects the process will take three or four months. The board wants to have someone set for the position before the date of his retirement, Biele said. 

“I’m surely going to miss it, that’s for sure,” he said.