The Poplar Bluff Fire Department will celebrate the promotion of five longtime employees and the addition of three new ones during a pinning ceremony Friday night at the Black River Coliseum.
The promotions and new hires follow the recent retirement of Capt. Blaine Murrell, Battalion Chief David Dudley and Chief Ralph Stucker.
“We’ve not had that big of a turnover since I’ve been here,” said Chief Mike Moffitt, a 25-year veteran of the department.
“We don’t have a high turnover rate, and it’s usually through attrition,” Moffitt said. “When people come here, they usually retire here for the most part.”
Two former captains have been promoted to battalion chiefs.
“I am proud to announce the promotions of Jeff Hale and Roy Lane to the position of battalion chief,” Moffitt said.
Hale has been with the department for 24 years, the past 15 as a captain.
Lane has served for 19 years, the last 13 as a captain.
“They’ve both been the senior captain on their shifts for the last seven or eight years, and they’ve already got a lot of experience as an acting battalion chief,” Moffitt said.
“With their experience and leadership, these two men will serve our department and community well,” Moffitt added.
The department also has promoted three longtime firefighters to the position of captain.
Chad Bell has been with the department for 13 years, Justin Moyers for 14 years and Brad Jones for 17 years.
“They have all shown a high level of integrity and leadership, and they are a great asset to our department and community,” Moffitt said.
The three new hires at the fire department, Moffitt said, will shore up its staffing needs.
“We are fully staffed at the moment,” he said.
In the past, getting enough applicants to fill available positions has been a problem, the chief noted, but not this time.
“Luckily, this time we had 11 applicants that qualified,” Moffitt explained. “Any one of them would have been great, but we think we got the best three of the group.”
The new hires, Tanner Tibbs, Tyler Gutterman and Dustin Graves, all are natives of the area.
Tibbs is a lifelong resident of Poplar Bluff. He worked at Butler County EMS for the past year before becoming a firefighter. He completed his firefighter training at the Cape Girardeau Fire Department and his EMT trading at Three Rivers College. He’s also currently enrolled in the paramedic program at TRC.
“It means everything, coming back and working for the town I grew up in and love, and giving back to the people who helped me along in life. It’s awesome,” Tibbs said.
Gutterman also is a lifelong Poplar Bluff resident, spending the last several years as an electrical lineman. He completed his firefighter training at TRC.
“I’ve got a wife and three kids, and I lived on the road. It was time to come home and be a dad,” Gutterman said of his career change.
So far, he said, he’s loving his firefighter job.
“It feels great, and all the guys have been open and accepting,” he said.
Graves, a native of Greenville, brings several years of firefighting experience to the department. He completed his training at TRC and previously worked at the Butler County Fire Department for six years.
“I decided to broaden my horizon and come to the city,” Graves said, “and I love being here so far.”
Moffitt said all three would be a “tremendous asset” to the department.
“We are very excited about all the changes and new additions to our department,” Moffitt said. “With their training and education, these men are the future of our department. We are all proud to serve the Poplar Bluff community, and the PBFD, with honor and pride.”