Answering the call: Jackson fire captain speaking to hundreds of students this month

Steve Baugh of Jackson has lost count of how many calls he's been on in during his 27-year career as a firefighter. For more than half of his life, Baugh, 52, has been a member of the Jackson Fire Department. He began as a volunteer firefighter in 1983 and made the job his career in 1990. Now, as captain and public information officer, his job remains the same -- to protect the people of his community. Baugh, with the help of other officers, will speak to more than 700 students in October, a month most departments dedicate to fire prevention education.

Question: Why did you want to make being part of a fire department your career?

Answer: When I was a young man, as in 4 or 5 years old until I was 12 or 13, I grew up a block and a half away from the fire station. I thought it was really cool living so close to the station. It was just a real macho thing to do back then. I'd bet 99 percent of the firefighters today, when they were a kid, they wanted to be a firefighter.

Q: What's your role with the department now?

A: For the past 12 years, I've been the public information officers. About three weeks ago, I was also promoted to captain but kept the public information officer title.

Q: How did you end up in the PIO spot?

A: It was just kind of something that when the former chief took over he said we needed somebody to do this. I thought I could give it a try. I just kind of fell into the role. If we have an incident I try to talk with the newspaper and the TV station.

Q: Tell me about some of the community education you do.

A: Just like [Thursday] morning, I went out to Orchard Elementary School and we talked with the first-grade class. This is not something new, not something I dreamed up. The first time I talked with a class was 23 years ago, when my son was either in kindergarten or first grade. [Thursday] morning was my granddaughter's first-grade class. The education is something that over the years we've tweaked it. Everybody's worked together on it, and we've got a real good education program. In the month of October, we'll probably talk to 700 or 800 kids. But then we also do programs for civic groups or church groups. We feel we've got a good fire prevention program.

Q: How do you relay messages of fire prevention to students?

A: Those children, when you get down to the kindergarten, first-grade age, they're sponges. They soak it in. You can stress to them how dangerous it is to play with matches and lighters and give them homework to bring home to Mom and Dad. That's one of the things I always do. I've had parents finally realize and say "Oh, you're the fireman Steve that told my son or daughter this or that."

I started full time with the fire department April 2, 1990. On April 1, 1990, we had a double fatality fire. A mother and her baby died; a $4 smoke alarm would have saved them. Well, in my mind if there would have been a smoke alarm maybe they'd be alive. I always talk about the importance of a smoke alarm.

Q: What's your role as captain?

A: My role is a relief or vacation captain. I float from crew to crew; I don't have a set crew. I fill in shifts if another captain is gone. If we're called in on a fire and we are on another truck I'll automatically take the captain's seat, or as we call it, the hot seat.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the remainder of your career?

A: Obviously, in this line of work it's kind of one of those things if you ever think you know it all, that's when you're going to get hurt. I'll always keep training, keep going. My ambition was to make it to captain, so I'm happy there, but it doesn't mean I'm going to sit back and quit now.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent Address:

525 S. Hope St., Jackson, MO