Poplar Bluff city officials have named a new fire department chief.
Mike Moffitt, who has been with the department since 1996, will take over Aug. 1, said city manager Matt Winters.
Moffitt is currently a battalion chief, a position he has held since 2008.
Current Chief Ralph Stucker is retiring, effective Aug. 1. A retirement reception will be held 2-4 p.m. Friday at the Black River Coliseum.
“I am excited to have Chief Moffitt take over the reins of our fire department as Chief Stucker retires,” said Winters. “Moffitt brings with him nearly 25 years of service at the Poplar Bluff Fire Department. He has demonstrated excellent leadership abilities while serving as battalion chief and while serving as interim chief in 2020.
“Moffitt has very impressive qualifications and a passion for the fire service. He is respected by the members of the PBFD and by the other department heads within the city.”
Moffitt’s pinning service as chief will take place Monday at the beginning of the regular city council meeting.
Moffitt is currently working with Stucker on elements of the transition. Moffitt has a current salary of $56,604, which will go to $63,888, Winters said.
“It’s going to be a big adjustment,” said Moffitt, 53. “For the last almost 25 years, when the tone goes off, I’m the first one to hop on the fire truck to go to emergency calls.”
His focus will now be making sure the department and its firefighters have the proper equipment and can do the best and safest job they can for the public, Moffitt said.
“Over the next few days, (Chief Stucker will) be sharing all of the pertinent contacts and different procedures and duties that he takes care of that we really don’t see every day,” Moffitt continued.
The fire department now has a battalion chief position to fill, as well as a captain’s spot, with Capt. Blane Murrell also retiring effective Aug. 1. Moffitt expects with the promotions that take place over the next few weeks, the department will ultimately have two firefighter positions to fill, for which the city has already started advertising.
“We’ve got a great group of guys down there and I’m sure we’ll all work together,” Moffitt said of the upcoming changes.
Moffitt has been married for 31 years, to his wife, Leonda, an elementary school teacher at Fisk.
They have a daughter, Jordyn Meury, 26, who is married to husband Alex. She has a master’s degree and works as a speech pathologist. The family, which includes 1-year-old daughter Wren, will move soon for her husband to attend school to fly Blackhawk helicopters.
Son Justin Moffitt, 22, is on his second contract with Army and is currently deployed in the Middle East. He is married to Haley Moffitt, who is in college studying to be a dental hygienist.