HINDMAN SET TO RETIRE AS FIRE CHIEF OF CAPE

When Cape Girardeau Fire Chief Gene Hindman takes off his badge and officially retires Wednesday, he will complete 31 years in fire service, seven of those as chief.

During his tenure as fire chief, Hindman, 53, has witnessed the culmination of important goals in the department, including some life-long dreams of the two fire chiefs who preceded him.

But Hindman is quick to point out that he alone is not responsible for these achievements.

"Many of these goals and projects began with my predecessors, the late fire chief, Carl Lewis, and retired fire chief, Charles Mills," said Hindman. "I simply picked up the ball and went with it when Charley stepped down, just like he did when Carl retired from the department.

"Like Carl and Charley, I've added some of my own input and some new goals and projects that I hope my successor will carry on."

Hindman also paid tribute to the rank-and-file firefighters for their support during his time as fire chief.

"Without the help of the men in the department, a lot of what has been achieved the past seven years would not have been possible," he said.

Hindman cited the department's lease-purchase of its 102-foot aerial platform fire engine as one of the most important accomplishments during his tenure. The $411,000 fire engine was delivered on May 3, 1987.

The platform ladder truck had been the dream of fire chiefs Lewis and Mills, but a lack of money in the budget always seemed to make its purchase a long-term goal.

But in 1986, an agreement was reached between the city, the Cape Girardeau County Commission, Southeast Missouri State University, and St. Francis and Southeast hospitals to finance the purchase of the platform ladder truck on a lease-purchase plan, Hindman said.

From that cooperative plan came the creation in 1990 of a county-wide fire mutual aid pact between city and rural fire departments. The mutual aid pact has since led to the establishment of the Cape Girardeau Regional Fire Library, which now is comprised of fire departments from three states.

Each department is able to check out training videos that it would otherwise have to purchase individually.

Another city-county cooperative effort was used when Huckstep Extrication Service announced in 1986 that it would cease service. Plans subsequently were drawn between the city and county for the Cape Girardeau Fire Department to take over the extrication and rescue service county-wide.

Hindman said another accomplishment that year was the switch to a three-platoon, fire crew schedule that reduced the work week for firefighters from 84 hours to 54 hours.

In May 1987, the fire and police departments instituted a central dispatch system, which Hindman said reduces the chances of human error and enabled the fire department to move three firefighters back on fire crews.

Hindman also is proud the Cape Girardeau Fire Department was one of the first fire departments in the state to complete the nationally-certified, two-year, "Firefighter One" basic training course. That same year, firefighters completed training as medical "First Responders."

Hindman said 1988 was another important year for the department, because the city's Insurance Services Office (ISO) insurance rating was upgraded from 5 to 4 "as a result of our training, manpower, equipment and water supplies."

That also was the year the department's first-ever secretary, Carol Carter, was hired.

Hindman said Carter has brought a level of professionalism to the fire department that was not possible before. "She has upgraded the level of our professionalism...whether it's a typed letter we send out to the public, or a report to the city manager," he added.

In 1991, Hindman oversaw the construction of the new Fire Station Number Two near the intersection of Bloomfield Road and Mt. Auburn. The former station was in the 1600 block of Independence.

This year, Hindman and the firefighters continued planning for the eventual construction and relocation of Fire Station Number Three from Emerald Street.

Plans are to build the new fire station at a location on what will be the future extension of North Sprigg Street, near its intersection with the future Lexington Avenue.

Hindman says his retirement this week will allow him to make use of the carpentry skills he's acquired over the years.

"My daughter has purchased an older house (in Paragould, Ark.) which she's remodeling, so I'm going to be spending some time down there with her, and with my grandchildren," he said. "I'm also planning to spend a lot more time with my wife over on Kentucky Lake, doing some bass fishing from our boat."

Hindman says he's never regretted the decision to make firefighting a career, despite its physical and mental demands.

"When I hired on, I was just married and looking for a job, nothing more," he said. "But then I got into the challenge of firefighting, and realized I could do something that a lot of people cannot, or will not do.

"A lot of people are afraid of heights, smoke, claustrophobia, and rapidly changing conditions. It all boils down to being able to preserve life and property.

"Firefighting is a secure career. There will always be a need for firefighters, but like most other jobs, what you get out of it will be determined on how much you put into it," he added.