The Department

The District Board of Directors appointed Fire Chief Shane Anderson in February of 2025 after serving as the Division Chief of Support Services since August of 2020. Chief Anderson has over 28 years of experience in the fire service and served for 5 years in the U.S. military. His education includes an AAS in Fire Science, a BS in Fire Administration, and an MA in Organizational Leadership, with a second MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling currently in progress. He holds numerous fire service certifications ranging from suppression and technical rescue to fire service leadership. In addition, he holds the Chief Fire Officer credential from the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE).

Throughout his fire service career, Chief Anderson has worked as an instructor for numerous state and regional training entities, including the Missouri Emergency Response Commission (MERC). He has over 20 years of experience in program management including fire service training and organizational safety and workers compensation programs. Currently, Chief Anderson participates as a subject matter expert for several of the Missouri Division of Fire Safety’s training and certification levels.

Chief Anderson is dedicated to ensuring the safety of District citizens and guests by utilizing community risk reduction (CRR) tools and data to proactively identify and assess the specific hazards and risks that impact the District. His leadership style emphasizes the mission, vision, values, and goals of the District, while empowering District personnel with the training, professional development, and resources necessary to effectively resolve emergency and non-emergency requests for service from the community. His organizational approach emphasizes the safety, health, and mental well-being of all District personnel while steadily improving District equipment, facilities, and infrastructure.