I  hope that everyone has had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The holidays are a busy time for most of us. As things start to settle down and we return to our normal routines or begin new ones with our resolutions. 

As I am writing this I am reflecting on the retirement ceremonies I attended this past year and realize that there are some big shoes to fill in the Fire Service. One of those is here in District 4, Fire Chief Leo Huff retired December 20, 2019, after serving the Citizens of Clinton for 46 years, 2 months, and 5 days. Congratulations Chief Huff on your retirement! We will miss the vocabulary lessons from the Hufftionary as your crew called it. Chief Huff had a way with words. One example was the word, “Woo Mow,” now as most of you know that word is not found in Webster’s dictionary but it is a word that his crews know. To use it in a sentence, Chief Huff would tell one of the crew to go get the, “Woo Mow,” from the truck. When the crew member would have a blank stare like what are you talking about Chief, he would say, “you know the tool that you pull the rope and squeeze the lever and it makes the Woo Mow noise.” He was referring to the saw. This was just one example of the words the crews at Clinton Fire Department shared at the retirement ceremony and will leave a lasting impression for years to come.

Have you signed up for classes yet at MU FRTI Winter Fire School, February 7-9, 2020? This is a great opportunity to network with the vendors at the Equipment Expo, reunite with old friends and meet new ones, and listen to top quality instruction from fire service leaders from across the US. I would like to ask those who are attending to support the FFAM memorial and museum project by dining at Texas Roadhouse on Friday night. The display of spirit and camaraderie is endless. There are classes for everyone and at every level. Even webcasts for those of us that are unable to make it to Columbia but have the desire to further their education. If you make it there and see me at the expo please say hello. 

Traditionally Labor Day has been the official end to the Summer season. I hope that everyone has had a fun time and was able to take that family vacation somewhere or enjoy the great outdoors on one of our many lakes and waterways. As schools start back in session let’s remember to allow for a little extra time for our travels as we will be encountering school buses and students walking to school. As many of you know I again had the privilege of working at the Missouri State Fair Fire Department this year as the captain of EMS, we saw a total of 156 calls for service, and 132 patrons of the fair walk in to our First Aid Station. I would like to extend a huge thank you to all who worked at the fair this year for the hard work and dedication to not only this organization but to the patrons of the fair. I would like to also say a great big thank you to Joyce Thompson, Angie Fields, Charlie Peel, Ann Jones, and all the other wonderful people who helped with the cooking and meal preparing to make sure we were well fed and did not leave hungry.

On September 8, 2018, the second annual Missouri State Fire Marshal 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb took place in Jefferson City. I want to say thank you to everyone who climbed in remembrance of the 343 brothers who paid the ultimate sacrifice that day, proceeds from this event went to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

On September 11, Knob Noster Fire Department held their annual ceremony in remembrance of 9/11 at the City Hall.

Be on the lookout for the Membership renewal packets which will be coming out around October, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 660-221-6161. If you would like for me to come and visit your department to explain the benefits or to be present at an event that your department is hosting please contact me and I will try my best to attend.

Stay Safe and God Bless.

The State Fair Fire Department has another year in the books. I would first like to say, thank you to all of you who helped out with donations to the EMS division after our flood last winter. Without your support and generous donations we would not be able to provide the exceptional service that the fair and its patrons have come to expect from our organization. This year we have seen a total of 156 calls for service and seen 132 patrons who walked into our First Aid Station. I would like to thank SEMA, Kevin Tweedy, and DMAT for all of their assistance during the operation of the fair this year and hope to have you back next year. A big congratulations goes out to Terry Plumb of Southern Stone County Fire Protection District for being named the chief for next year and congratulations to Donnie Rogers on his last year as chief of the department.

Without the hard work and dedication of the personnel who come and work the fair each year, our operation would not be a success. I wish we could give an award to each and every one of you to show our appreciation. Special recognition this year was given to Kegan Wilson of the Johnson County Fire Protection District and Johnson County Ambulance District. Kegan was presented with the EMS of the year award for his outstanding commitment and dedication to the operation. Kegan has graciously stepped up and helped out with our training in the EMS Division the last two years and has obtained EMS CEU’s through his employer JCAD for all of the personnel who work the EMS division. Kegan also helped with the remodel of the First Aid Station by helping me remove the old cabinets and install new ones. It was an honor to nominate him for this award and to give him the recognition for going above and beyond in service to the department and the patrons of the fair. Continue Reading →

It’s getting to be that time of the year again. Keeping true to the motto of the Missouri State Fair Fire Department,  “Mutual Aid at its Best,” we are once again requesting donations of EMS supplies for the 2018 operations. As some of you know this winter we experienced a significant loss of supplies when a water pipe burst and flooded our supply closet.

Due to the nature of our operation being eleven days a year, the flooding was not found until several days after the pipe burst. The water damage resulted in a catastrophic loss of supplies. Supplies lost include all of our airway supplies, all of our bandaging equipment for bleeding control, Emergency OB kits, and other miscellaneous supplies. Being a volunteer organization we rely on donated supplies to provide a quality of care that the patrons of the fair have come to expect with an EMS response or in first aid for treatment. Continue Reading →