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Joplin fire chief reports rise in calls and outlines staffing, training and equipment priorities
Summary
Fire Chief Veil told the council the department handled 9,533 calls in 2024 (a 7.4% increase), described training and equipment upgrades, noted the department is down one position after a recent resignation, and discussed interest in adding Station 8 if funding permits.
Fire Chief Veil provided a detailed update on department operations, training, equipment and staffing and answered council questions about personnel and pay competitiveness.
"We had 9,533 calls for service in 2024," Chief Veil said, calling it a 7.4% increase over 2023 and the second-largest annual total on record. He noted that about 33% of those calls were fire-related, a higher share of fire calls than the national trend.
Veil said the department staffs a minimum of 30 personnel daily across seven stations, operates a Fire Prevention Bureau with two personnel who completed 1,836 inspections in 2024, and runs a training division whose members averaged roughly 355 hours each last year. He highlighted expanded in-house special-operations training (swift-water, high-angle, confined space) and the department’s move to battery-operated rescue tools for improved power and lighter weight.
The chief said turnout-gear policies are changing to provide two gear sets per firefighter to reduce carcinogen exposure and described fleet maintenance handled by a single fleet manager. He also noted the department was fully staffed when the presentation was prepared but had lost one person to a recent resignation.
In response to Councilman Coppell, the chief said he would confirm whether the department’s cancer and mental-health program covers dispatch staff and the council asked the city manager to explore adding dispatch to that program. Councilman Jackson raised concerns about pay competitiveness amid statewide minimum-wage changes; Veil said other departments in Missouri are also adjusting salaries and that compensation will be an ongoing challenge.
On readiness, Veil confirmed the department is preparing for Severe Weather Week and scheduled city alarm testing.
The council did not take any formal action during this update.
