Meet the Ozark FPD Firefighters and Divisions
The Ozark Fire Protection District lives by the organization’s mission statement.
Our expert team of dedicated firefighters and first responders strive for excellence in every area of service we provide to our community.
The district operates with three fully staffed stations strategically placed throughout the community. Crews enjoy a 48/96-hour work schedule consisting of A-B-C shifts. The district employs 38 personnel consisting of administrative and line staff.
Our administrative staff consists of the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief of Operations, Assistant Chief of Prevention, Assistant Chief of Training, and an Administrative Coordinator.
Our line staff consists of 3 Battalion Chiefs, 9 Captains, 9 Engineers, and 12 Firefighters.
We are a strong team with the duty to aggressively serve our community with integrity and excellence.
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Jarett Metheny
Fire Chief
2020
Dave Hubbard
Captain
2020
Camren Qualls
Engineer
2020
Austin Essick
Engineer
2019
Sean Ware
Captain
2006
Justin Cagney
Engineer
2020
Melinda York
Administrative Coordinator
2008
Aaron Heaton
Assistant Chief
2007
Kyle Heminger
Captain
2019
Jake Stokes
Firefighter
2022
Cory Fasone
Engineer
2020
Brad Arnott
Captain
2013
Eleazar Soto
Firefighter
2008
Jacob Reynolds
Firefighter
2022
Jeff Owens
Assistant Chief
2019
Derek Compton
Captain
2017
Burt Roberts
Captain
2019
Mitch Beary
Firefighter
2022
Paul Winking
Captain
2019
Matthew Garrison
Firefighter
2022
Aaron Meadows
Firefighter
2023
Caleb Thompson
Battalion Chief
2011
Aaron Lay
Captain
2009
Jacy Snider
Captain
2018
Kendra Bruffett
Firefighter
2022
Eric Eberhart
Engineer
2012
Dustin Cutbirth
Firefighter
2022
Austin White
Firefighter
2023
Rob Crawford
Battalion Chief
2019
Matt Ferguson
Engineer
2015
Matt Galina
Engineer
2008
Jared Stover
Firefighter
2022
Ryan Bernhardt
Engineer
2014
Jacob Walles
Firefighter
2022
Our Fire District Team Division
The Ozark Fire District consists of four divisions working in unison to create a seamless system of service delivery.
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Administrative Division
The Administrative division oversees business functions related to district services. This division includes budgetary oversight, Policy & Procedural Compliance, and Human resources.
Operations Division
The Operations division oversees the deployment of district resources to directly provide service delivery to the public. This division includes oversight of apparatus, equipment, facilities, and supervises special operations essential to fire service job functions.
Training Division
The Training division is a support element of operations providing high-intensity advancement training to comply with federal, state, and local regulations. This division oversees fire investigations, community outreach, and serves as the district’s information officer.
Prevention Division
The prevention division oversees the community risk reduction planning through prevention and inspections. This division assists with plan review, code enforcement, and permitting special events.
Board of Directors
The district is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, each holding a six-year term. Annually, the district conducts an in-depth planning process to ensure we meet stakeholders' expectations.
This planning translates to an open and transparent money management plan and enables the development and continued oversight of the district’s progressive fifteen-year strategic plan and a 10-year capital improvement plan.
Susie Ballard
President of the Board
2019
Matt Growcock
Vice President of the Board
2020
Will Reynolds
Treasurer of the Board
2017
Angie Johns
Director of the Board
2019
Donovan Dobbs
Director of the Board
2020
District HQ
Fire Station 1
604 North 3rd Street
Ozark, MO 65721
M-F: 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Fire Station 2
6052 North 25th Street
Ozark, MO 65721
M-F 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
4545 South Highway W
Ozark, MO 65721
M-F 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Fire Station 3
Ozark Fire Protection District History and Timeline
The Ozark Fire Protection District serves 110 square miles of Christian County Missouri. We provide emergency services to the cities of Ozark, Fremont Hills, and other unincorporated portions of Christian County. We also provide mutual aid for the communities of Nixa, Sparta, Highlandville, Chadwick, Rogersville, Battlefield, and Springfield.
Ozark Fire Protection District History and Timeline
1904
The south side of the historic square burned. There was one home and three stores that were lost in the fire. At the time, there was no fire protection in Ozark.
1906
The east side of the historic square burned. The newspaper (Tribune) was in one of the buildings and some homes. These were some of the oldest buildings on the square, dating back to the 1880s.
1917
The north side of the square burned. The Taylor Hotel, Williams Café, and Dad Reece’s Bakery burned.
1962
Bill McNabb is the Fire Chief (1962-2000).
1967
Ozark Fire purchased a new fire truck with a 750-gallon pump.
1984
A tax levy is 30 cents.
2000
Jake Archer is named the Fire Chief.
2005
January – Ozark Fire Protection District begins the first day of service.
February – We hired full-time, around-the-clock firefighters–2 per shift.
2007
April – Tax Levy to 38 cents from 30 cents (allowed for an increase of staffing to 6 firefighters per shift).
2010
January – Station #3 opens with a residency program.
June – Darren White is named full-time Fire Chief (2010-2019).
2012
Proposition A, a tax levy increase, failed.
2014
February – First Battalion Chief (Shift Commander) hired.
March – Six additional firefighters are hired because of the tax increase.
April – Station 3 opens 24/7/365 with career staff.
2017
April – Station 1 floods from rising waters of the Finley River.
April – Old Station #2 closes due to mold being found and the building being declared uninhabitable.
June – Inaugural Citizens Fire Academy class graduates 13 students.
2019
Susie Ballard and Angie Johns are elected to the Board of Director positions.
Fire Chief Darren White retires.
Assistant (later reclassified to Deputy Chief) Rob Crawford is the interim Chief.
Longtime member and President of the Board of Directors Jay Johnson resigns.
2021
January – Station #3 closes after the mold is discovered in the building and is declared uninhabitable.
April - Proposition fire passed by nearly 2/3 in favor
1905
Ozark built the first fire department house in the city. The first fire wagon was a big two-wheel cart, and the fire hose was wound between the two big wheels. The volunteer firefighters would pull the cart by hand if a horse were unavailable. There was a big bell on a post at the firehouse. The first man there rang the bell to sound the alarm.
That bell is at Fire Station 1, was made by C.S. Bell & Co., and is over 100 years old, manufactured between 1882 and 1894.
Ale Miller is the first Fire Chief (1905-1916).
1910
The west side of the square burned, including Bingham Hardware, J.M. Pullen’s Photography Gallery, and J.K. Wallace’s Sheet Metal Establishment.
1927
Ozark Fire bought its first new fire truck.
1966
$20,000 bond passed for capital purchases.
1983
Station 1 is built.
1990
Stations #2 and #3 construction was completed for the Ozark Rural Fire Protection District, a separate agency with the same leadership as the City Fire Department.
A bond was passed for capital purchases.
2004
February – Full-time firefighters are hired for the first time in the 100-year history of the agency. We were able to hire two firefighters per shift 8-hour shift. Two firefighters were employees for the City of Ozark, and two were for the Ozark Rural FPD. The nights and weekend shifts were for volunteers only.
August – Merger of the municipal Ozark Fire Department and the Ozark Rural Fire District to the Ozark Fire Protection District. Jake Archer is the Fire Chief.
2006
August – Station 1 expanded to present-day size. Gordon Dippel is the Fire Chief.
2008
February – Old Station #2 opened (CC @ North 22nd Street) 2 firefighters were assigned per shift to this location.
February – Darren White is named interim Chief.
March – Living Quarters at Station 1 are flooded by waters from the Finley River.
2011
March – OFPD delivers twin fire engines (2011 Ferrara Fire Engines).
2013
ISO audit grades OFPD at a four inside the city limits and a nine outside the city limits.
April – Tax levy increase approved to 63 cents.
2015
July – Station 1 floods from rising waters of the Finley River.
2018
August – The District hires the first Fire Marshal, Don Gregory.
2020
March – peers elected Susie Ballard to President of the Board of Directors, and Will Reynolds was selected as Treasurer.
May – Jarett Metheny is hired as Fire Chief.
June – Matt Growcock was selected to fill the remaining time of former director Johnson’s seat.
July – Reclassification of Administrative Chiefs; Rob Crawford to Deputy Chief, Don Gregory to Assistant Chief.
September – Fire Station #2 is opened and located at 6052 North 25th St., covering the north side of the district.
November – Ten-year strategic plan is presented to the Board of Directors.