Cape, Jackson fire departments honor firefighters as year draws to close

As their year of firefighting comes to an end, members of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department and Jackson Fire Rescue have responded to a combined call volume of nearly 7,000 incidents in 2019 and awarded year-end recognitions within their departments.

Jackson Fire Rescue responded to 1,461 incidents this year and the Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to 5,457, according to each department’s data from Jan. 1 to Dec. 23.

A pie chart shows the categories of incidents the Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to from Jan. 1 to Dec. 23 of this year. (Click to enlarge)Ben Matthews

The calls were divided into nine categories: fires, explosions/excessive heat, rescue/emergency services, hazardous conditions, service calls, good intent calls, false alarms, severe weather and special incidents.

The largest volume of calls were in the category for rescue calls and emergency medical service calls, which accounted for about two-thirds of incidents.

A pie chart shows the categories of incidents Jackson Fire Rescue responded to from Jan. 1 to Dec. 23 of this year. (Click to enlarge)Ben Matthews

Although they received about one-fifth as many calls as the Cape Girardeau agency, Jackson Fire Rescue responded to nearly nine times more severe weather calls than the Cape Girardeau Fire Department.

With the end of the year approaching, both departments also awarded year-end recognitions to firefighters this month.

Lucas SimmonsCape Girardeau Captain of the Year, Employee of the Year

Cape Girardeau fire Capt. Lucas Simmons was named not only Captain of the Year, but also as the department’s Employee of the Year. Simmons has been with the department since June 2008, and now serves as station captain at Cape Girardeau Fire Station No. 3. He is also a member of the area’s technical rescue team and drone team.

As one of his primary duties, Simmons oversees the department’s EMS supplies and equipment and he helped the department secure three cardiac monitors it needed. Simmons said the devices cost between $30,000 and $40,000 each.

The City of Cape Girardeau website described the captain as easy to get along with and eager to help others, and praised his dedication to maintaining the department’s medical equipment.

Willie NelsonCape Girardeau Firefighter of the Year

The department also recognized Willie Nelson, local firefighter and EMT, as Firefighter of the Year.

In a Facebook post from the department, Nelson was described as a “leader among his peers” who is “always willing to do what is needed.”

The Firefighter of the Year first joined the department in May 2017, and the department’s Facebook post praised his commitment to taking “every class and certification available to him.”

Blake StoneJackson Firefighter of the Year

On Dec. 10, Jackson Fire Rescue held its department Christmas party and firefighter Blake Stone received a plaque recognizing him as the department’s Firefighter of the Year. A post from the department’s Facebook page congratulated Stone on the accomplishment and described him as “an exceptional employee” and “an all-around team player.”

Jackson fire chief Jason Mouser awarded Stone with the plaque, and said it has been a productive year for his department.

“It’s been a good year; a busy year in the community. There’s a lot of construction going on, so the fire marshal divisions are in charge of doing a lot of safety inspections in those buildings,” Mouser said.

Mouser also mentioned the department’s new fire safety campaign, which started this year and provides homeowners with direct access to fire inspections, smoke detector tests and safety recommendations. He also mentioned specialized training scheduled on the 2020 calendar.

“It’s good for us — not only locally but as a region.”