A message from the Chairman
Dear Metro West Residents:
In talking with you, one of the most frequently asked questions is, "What is the difference between a fire district like Metro West and a fire department?" We offer the following explanation to help residents better understand there fire district.
Fire Districts: Empowered by the state of Missouri and regulated by Missouri Revised Statute #321, a fire district is an independent, self-governing entity, responsible for delivering emergency medical, fire protection, rescue and HAZMAT services. It also functions as your principal "Homeland Security" responder in case of terrorist attack, or natural disaster. Fire districts are governed by three publicly elected directors who are responsible for the overall operations and management of the district. Each district encompasses a large geographic area and is empowered to enact ordinances and regulations necessary to carry out its mission of protecting and serving its residents. By state law, cities, as well as unincorporated areas lying within the boundaries of a fire district, are under the authority of the district.
Fire Departments: Unlike fire districts, fire departments are part, or component of city government as is public works, parks and recreations, etc. A fire department usually reports through a city administrator and/or mayor and city council, and is not an independent, self governing body as is a fire district. Except for the largest cities, fire departments are normally limited in scope, smaller in size, and have less resource availability than do fire districts.
Advantages of Fire Districts: Fire districts eliminate costly duplication of services that would exist if each municipality provided its own EMS and fire protection to small individual population groups. In doing so, fire districts bring significant cost efficiency and effectiveness to the taxpayers, maximizing the use of public funds. In addition, "economy of scale" allows a fire district to serve a much larger population base with an optimum sized force of highly-trained personnel and readily available equipment which can handle even the largest emergencies that might overwhelm small, local fire departments.
By consolidating services into a fire district, their delivery and management is greatly streamlined and a patchwork of local bureaucracy is eliminated. In the end the public is far better served by fire districts.
Sincerely,
Bob Reboulet
Chairman of the Board
Welcome,
Thank you for visiting the website of the Metro West Fire Protection District. We are very proud of what we are able
to provide to our citizens through our dedicated Firefighters and Paramedics. Here, you will find information on everything from our C.E.R.T. program and building regulations to C.P.R. classes Firehouses and Apparatus.
Our Fire Protection District covers nearly 58 square miles of Western St. Louis County encompassing all or portions of the Cities of Ballwin, Wildwood, Ellisville, Chesterfield, Clarkson Valley, Grover, Pond, Sherman and areas of unincorporated St. Louis County. We protect you with five stations strategically placed to maximize efficient response times to provide the highest level of medical care, fire suppression and rescue services possible.
The Fire District is governed by an elected Board of Directors. You have elected community leaders Bob Reboulet (Chairman of the Board), Tim Flora (Vice Chairman & Secretary of the Board) and Ralph Starck (Treasurer of the Board) to serve you. Together they make decisions related to the preparedness, prevention, response and recovery related to the emergencies we respond to. These members come from very diverse backgrounds that combined create a level of focus, fiscal responsibility and growth unmatched.
Since February of 2003 I have been able to serve as the Chief of Fire & EMS Services. Prior to that time I served in various positions from Firefighter / Paramedic to Assistant Chief. Our community is an extremely special place to live. I have had the pleasure of raising my family and living in our area for over thirty years. Rest assured that those that are responsible for protecting you are committed to your safety.
If you need information that you cannot find at this site, please contact our administration office during normal business hours at 636.458.2100.
Sincerely,
Vincent T. Loyal
Chief, Fire & EMS Services
Metro West Fire Protection District