Debby Woodin
The Joplin Globe, Mo.
(MCT)
Feb. 26—A familiar face has returned to the Joplin Fire Department.
Gerald Ezell, who retired from the department in 2010 when he was a battalion chief, is the city’s new fire chief. He succeeds Jim Furgerson, who retired in June.
Ezell is a 33-year veteran of fire service who started his career in 1987 with the Neosho Fire Department.
He came to the Joplin department the first time in 1990 and worked 20 years. He then became part-time fire chief in the Diamond Area Protection District. After four years there, he moved to Maumelle, Arkansas, where he worked as chief and emergency management coordinator.
Ezell is a graduate of the executive fire officer program at the National Fire Academy and earned the designation as a chief fire officer.
He has extensive training in safety and high-danger emergency response from National Incident Management Systems of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He has a bachelor of science in management from Ashworth College in Norcross, Georgia, and an associate degree in fire science.
After his first retirement here, Ezell returned to aid Joplin in the aftermath of the 2011 tornado.
On the second night after the EF5 twister, he ran staging and dispatched six units, and worked in the emergency operations center to help provide aid to the battered community.
Ezell said his desire to stay in firefighting is “first and foremost a love of the job and the love for taking care of the community. It truly was coming home when I got to come back to Joplin” for this job.
“I served this community for 20 years, and there was nothing I wanted more than to come back and continue service here, and, of course, personnel. You make lifelong friends in the fire service and that was a difficult thing when I retired the first time was to leave the people behind here.”
Ezell began the job Feb. 7. His annual salary is $92,279 plus the usual benefits of insurance and vacation time.
“Gerald brings much experience to this position and will be an excellent addition to the city’s management team,” said City Manager Nick Edwards.
Ezell said early duties will include helping interim Chief Mark Cannon with oversight of the construction and staffing of Fire Station No. 7. The design of that station, to be located at 6720 E. 30th St., is done. Construction bids are to be obtained this year and the building is to be erected soon afterward. Also, the fire engine for that station is to be built and new firefighters will be hired for that station.
“As the city progresses with building Station 7 and addressing numerous action plans involving the fire department, I am confident that he will serve the community well and lead the department with the intention of efficiency and cohesiveness,” the city manager said in a statement regarding Ezell’s hiring.
Asked if the fire department is still experiencing a shortage of personnel, Ezell said, “I think that is a nationwide trend. Nationwide, people are having trouble getting individuals to come in and actually do this job.”
The department is nearing 100 positions and has four to be filled currently. The new station will add nine jobs.
Ezell and his wife, Nancy, have two daughters and a son.
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