As I am sitting in the office of the Missouri State Fair Fire Department all I can say is wow, how different this is. We are working with half crew sizes and equipment, and the streets only have a few people walking around. There are some that stop by to say thank you for all we do.

The 2020 Missouri Youth Livestock show will be one for the record books. We have made many improvements to the station. A big shout out to Evan, Emily, Kyler, Chris, and anyone else that helped with a massive upgrade to our communication and dispatching capabilities. During the fair, we also held a Basic Firefighter class for members that didn’t already have the training. For the members that have the certification, or higher, it was a great training refresher and great team building. 

With the youth livestock show in the books, it means that school will be starting which leads to the fall season and fire prevention. This year has been a year with the convention being canceled and the challenges of getting posters to the Fire Prevention Committee to be judged. We did have a few that we were able to get submitted. For those that were not able to submit your posters this year, I hope you can join us in Kearney in 2021 and get your posters turned in.

Hello and greeting from District 7 and the east side of the state. I hope this note finds everyone well. Punxsutawney Phil could not find his shadow and as the legend goes, this means we’re in for an early spring. Phil I’m going to hold it to ya. It will be great to wake up to birds singing. The first signs of spring are here. As I type this, I hear a few birds outside my window with the days getting longer and the temperatures starting to lift, trees starting to bud, the entrancing smell of spring with the flowers, warmer weather, and misty mornings that fill the air. What else lets me know spring is near are all the potholes and trying to avoid the craters. But the local tire shop likes the potholes. With spring around the corner, slow down on wet roads.

Rain is a big deal and the deadliest weather-related driving hazard. There’s plenty of it at this time of year with spring showers making roads slick when water mixes with oil on the pavement. The first ten minutes of light rain can be the most dangerous for hydroplaning. When tires slide across a wet surface, particularly at speeds above 35 mph, according to the American Safety Council. Slow down and increase your following distance with the car ahead to five seconds when driving in rain, advises Edmunds. Also, add an extra second for each additional challenge, like driving after dark. Avoid standing water and large puddles. Stay away from the outer lanes where water accumulates and try to drive in the tracks left by vehicles ahead. Replace wiper blades. Rain presents the hazard of reduced visibility, so check your wiper blades for wear and replace them if they’re not up to the important job of keeping your windshield clear. Inflate tires. Tires typically lose pressure in winter and it’s a good idea to get out the pressure gauge to see if they need inflating to the recommended level, often indicated on the sticker in the driver’s door.

Share the road with cyclists and pedestrians. More people are choosing to walk, run and cycle to stay active, carry out errands or as an alternative to driving to work, especially when the warmer weather arrives, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Treat bicyclists as you would other drivers, and remember pedestrians have rights on the road, too, particularly at crosswalks, says the NHTSA.

Watch for animals. Animals are also brushing off the cobwebs and getting out and about in the spring weather, which can pose dangers if they stray onto highways. Slow down so you can stop safely if animals are in the area and be extra vigilant at dawn and dusk.

The leading cause of death in America is house fires, to get into specifics, most casualties happen in the kitchen. It’s a sad but a true fact. Most people in the US assume and say, “Oh I know about fire safety, just have a fire extinguisher in your house and if something catches on fire you call the fire department.” This is just barely grazing the surface of fire prevention. Yes having a fire extinguisher is very important, but do you know where you’re supposed to keep it? How often you need to check it? How many you need? Where to get one from? When to test them? And so on and so on. 

It is expected that not everyone knows about fire prevention. But seriously, fire is dangerous and it can kill you if you’re not careful. Children and teenagers are more often than not the cause of a fire, but it’s not usually there fault. As long as they didn’t purposely set the fire. They simply didn’t know the correct precautions. 

Take for example PASS. Now how many of you know what PASS stands for? Well for those of you who don’t, it stands for Pull the handle, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep from side to side. This easy little reminder can help you and your family remember how to use a fire extinguisher because I know if I didn’t remember PASS then I would panic and most likely fumble around with the fire extinguisher until I figure out how to use it. Because let me tell you, the first time I tried to use a fire extinguisher it did not end well. How many of you know how to use a fire extinguisher? 

With Spring about to be sprung and we move forward to Spring and Summer, that only means warmer weather and the FFAM convention on April 12-14, at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. I hope everyone has enrolled and will be attending the great classes that are being offered free of charge. A reminder to all departments that will be entering their winning posters. They need to be delivered to the ladies’ auxiliary booth before the opening of the convention or they will not be judged. Also, please read over the rules for the contest to ensure the posters meet the contest requirements and all necessary information is filled out on the label. I hope everyone attends for the fun, fellowship, education, competitions and much deserved awards.

Talking about much deserved awards, some of you reading this may not know but a great friend of mine and the fire service received a much-deserved award in February, my friend Chief Ken Hoover retired from Little Dixie Fire Protection District after more than 40 years of service. Thank you for all you’ve done for the fire service, FFAM, and for me. Thank you for being a friend, mentor, and teacher. Have a great time with your family and enjoy your new life of retirement and let the good times roll.

President Kenneth Hoover presenting Kiya Smith, from Ms. McManus’ 4th Grade at Hawthorne Elementary School in Mexico, Missouri, with a check and her winning poster. Kiya Smith’s parents are Korey and Amanda Smith and April Smith. Kiya’s father is a firefighter with the Little Dixie Fire Protection District.

Hello and greetings from District 7 and the east side of the state. I hope everyone had a great safe summer with family and friends.

Where has the time gone? Can you believe that summer is almost over? School has started, and the Missouri State Fair is in the history book. I have to say to the ones that didn’t attend the fair this year, you all missed a great time! The first Saturday was a busy time for the Missouri State Fair Fire Department, with the crowd and the heat, the crews kept busy. This year we had many new faces to help man the station and I want to say thank you for a great job. I can’t wait to see you all next year. Thank you to the seasoned members that showed the new faces around the station and made them feel at home and part of the team and family. I hope when the rookies got home they told of all that happens at the state fair and they return next year and bring a few more colleagues with them. A great job by all because it takes everyone to make it happen and without the member departments and districts that allow us to use their equipment, we could not have the only eleven day fire department in the nation. So thank you to all that donated. This was Chief Rogers last year as fire chief and a big thank you to Donnie for a job well done. Congratulations to the new Fire Chief Terry Plumb. While I’m sending congratulations, I need to congratulate all the award winners. In my eyes each one is a winner. Continue Reading →