From The Brentwood Patch

Brentwood fire chief Bob Niemeyer has announced his retirement after serving the city he grew up in for more than 49 years.

Niemeyer, 70, will retire on Sept. 17. He'll be succeeded by Ted Jury, fire chief of the Ladue Fire Department. The announcements were made during a Brentwood Board of Aldermen meeting on Monday night.

Niemeyer, who has worked as fire chief for the past 29 years, is a lifelong Brentwoodian who has strong ties to the community.

"He always wanted to be a fireman," Mayor Pat Kelly said. "He's a great person—as a fire chief and friend."

In May, Niemeyer informed the city that he planned to retire. The city's Public Safety Committee asked Jury to help with the search to find a replacement, but Jury indicated his interest in the position.

Instead of creating a search committee, the city began negotiating a contract with Jury in early June.

Kelly said Jury—who has worked in Ladue for 29 years—has become very familiar with the Brentwood Fire Department through mutual aid, where Brentwood firefighters assist Ladue on fire calls and vice versa.

"He knows our men. He's highly respected," Kelly said.

Jury's start date hasn't been established yet, but he'll likely begin before Niemeyer's retirement date, Kelly said.