People asked. We answered.
(But please contact us if you have any more questions.)
A Fire Protection District, as governed by Chapter 321 of the Missouri Revised Statues, is a political subdivision which is organized to supply fire protection. It’s an independent (i.e. not part of a municipal government) organization that levies taxes and uses the revenue from those taxes to provide fire protection. The residents that live within the defined boundaries of the Fire District elect a Board of Directors for the district and vote on all tax initiatives.
Fire crews work 24-hour shifts and must supply their own meals while in the firehouse. They stop to purchase food within their assigned area. But even if they are at the grocery store, they are available for emergencies.
Our staffing needs are constantly changing. Please see our employment section for more information.
Not at all. When they aren’t responding to emergencies, firefighters have lots of other duties, like performing fire inspections at businesses, schools and churches. They also participate in ongoing training exercises so they can keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date. In addition, they take time to familiarize themselves with changes in our fast-growing area—like new streets and new construction—so they are prepared to act quickly in an emergency. And, when time permits, firefighters are allowed to use part of their day for exercise, in order to stay fit for the strenuous demands of firefighting and rescue work.
South Metro has a system for determining the appropriate number of people and the urgency of the response for different types of emergencies. We send the amount that may be needed so there will be no delay in providing whatever aid is necessary.
Yes, we welcome visits to our facilities. However, with the vigorous training schedule, as well as day-to-day emergencies, please understand that it can be a challenge to find a time that fits both your schedule and those of our firefighters. Please call South Metro during regular business hours to arrange a time to visit.
Absolutely not! Because of the unpredictable nature of emergencies, and because we often get very little information when we are called, we assign a number of trucks and personnel to handle a serious incident. There are times when the first unit to arrive on the scene of an emergency will find that they are able to deal with the incident on their own, or with less help than is on the way. In such cases the units that are not needed are canceled and put in service to respond to other emergencies, even though they were already on the way to this one. That is why you will sometimes see a unit “shut down” to non-emergency status.