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Marionville aldermen approve rescue gear and equipment purchases as firefighters, residents press for support of absent fire leader
Summary
Aldermen approved an extrication unit, two sets of turnout gear and two helmets while multiple firefighters and residents urged the council to support Fire Department leader Kris Bowling and warned of morale and staffing risks tied to his leave of absence.
Marionville — The Board of Aldermen approved purchases for emergency equipment on March 19 while hearing multiple public pleas to back the Marionville Fire Department's leader, Kris Bowling, who is on leave.
During public comment, several firefighters and residents said Bowling’s absence threatens department stability. Jim Brangenberg, a resident, said the council "took the MFD leader from them and no plan was in place to keep things going," and told the council it "owes the city and MFD an apology." Dalton Gold and Garrett Mooneyham spoke as Marionville firefighters about Bowling’s role in the department; Destiny Lowe described Bowling’s integrity and mentorship.
The council voted to purchase an extrication unit after a discussion that compared gas- and battery-powered tools; the motion to buy the unit passed on a roll-call vote. Council also approved two sets of turnout gear and separately approved two helmets to be purchased from Big Al’s Lids LLC. No specification of the extrication unit power source appears in the record.
Bob Duda, who reported on recent department training, said the department hosted an acquired-structure burn attended by 44 trainees and that the burn would not have gone smoothly without the recent training. Duda told the council that several firefighters are "ready to leave due to the council's decision," and Austin White, the Fire Department’s training coordinator, described Bowling as "the heart of the MFD," noting Bowling worked 40 hours toward EMT certification and supported training and crew well-being.
Council members approved the equipment purchases by roll-call vote. The meeting record shows all votes on the extrication unit and gear were recorded as Aye; the park rock purchase vote included one absence. The council entered a closed session later in the meeting under RSMo 610.020; no votes were reported in closed session.
The board’s actions combined equipment approvals intended to support emergency response capability with public concern about department leadership and staffing. Mayor Dale Blankenship closed by thanking Marionville firefighters for their service and reminded citizens to vote. The meeting adjourned at 8:27 p.m.
