Cape Girardeau fire chief takes leave of absence

Cape Girardeau Fire Chief Travis Hollis, after a little more than 13 months on the job, has taken a leave of absence, according to reports.

Reached Friday by the Southeast Missourian, Hollis said he will comment on the reports when it is "appropriate" to do so.

City Manager Scott Meyer and Mayor Bob Fox declined to address the matter, citing the city's personnel policies, with Fox adding Hollis has not resigned.

Hollis became CGFD chief August 19, after 24 years of firefighting and emergency services experience.

Immediately prior to becoming Cape's chief, Hollis had been deputy chief of the Rogers, Arkansas, fire department.

Rogers, in the northwest corner of Arkansas, boasts an estimated population of 68,000, notably larger than Cape's 2019 Census Bureau estimate of over 40,000.

Hollis had been one of four finalists interviewed after a 10-month search to succeed interim CGFD chief Mark Hasheider, who himself got the job after the city fired Rick Ennis.

Ennis, who had been Cape's fire chief 14 years, was terminated December 28, 2018, days before his scheduled retirement, for violation of an undisclosed city policy.

At the time of his hiring, Hollis said the following about Cape Girardeau in a news release:

"It was love at first sight with Cape," said Hollis.

"A combination of the genuine hospitality of the residents, the charm of downtown and the city's trail system at Cape Woods [Conservation] Area won me over," he added.

The current CGFD deputy fire chief is Randy Morris, Jr.