A fire chief once celebrated as a trailblazer in Minnesota’s male-dominated firefighting profession has resigned, while her male second-in-command is on leave amid an “open complaint.”
Golden Valley Fire Chief Bethany Brunsell’s departure and Assistant Fire Chief Dominique Guzman’s leave were confirmed by city officials in response to an inquiry from Alpha News.
“Fire Chief Bethany Brunsell has resigned,” Communications Specialist Maddie Peters confirmed to Alpha News. “There is an open complaint involving Assistant Chief Dominique Guzman. He is on leave. This action is an administrative measure and is not a determination of wrongdoing.”
The city has not disclosed the nature of the complaint against Guzman, the reason for Brunsell’s resignation, or whether the two developments are connected.
From trailblazer to resignation
When Brunsell was named Golden Valley’s fire chief in 2024, KARE 11 celebrated her appointment as Minnesota’s third female fire chief.
“Seeing someone who looks like you makes it feel a little safer to ask the questions that a lot of women may be nervous about asking a man about,” Brunsell told the outlet.
In February 2026, Brunsell reached another career milestone when she was named president of the Hennepin County Fire Chiefs Association, a position tasked with helping guide regional fire service priorities and collaboration among departments.
With Brunsell gone, Golden Valley has appointed Jerry Streich, a 32-year fire service veteran, as interim chief.
The city said Streich brings extensive experience in training and emergency management and assured residents that emergency response services will continue without interruption.
Fire chiefs association told Brunsell was on leave, not that she resigned
While Golden Valley confirmed Brunsell’s resignation to Alpha News, the Hennepin County Fire Chiefs Association said it had only been informed that she was on leave.
Peter Hanlin, the association’s secretary, provided the following statement to Alpha News:
“The board was informed on Monday of this week by Golden Valley Assistant Chief Chwialkowski that Chief Brunsell had been placed on leave. We were not provided any specifics surrounding the leave, and the association has not received notification that she has resigned.
“Under the association’s bylaws, board members must be active fire department chief officers and members in good standing. The association’s vice president is Mike Wenshau, fire chief for the City of Hopkins. Under the bylaws, the vice president assumes the responsibilities of the president in the president’s absence.”
This story has been updated to include a statement from the Hennepin County Fire Chiefs Association.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
