Heat seeking: Fighting fires is in family's blood

ROGERSVILLE, Mo. -- Earlene Stirts was not surprised eight years ago when her son, Zach, then 13, announced his decision to become a firefighter.

It's in his blood.

There's his father, Rich Stirts, 42, chief at Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District.

And his grandfather, Bud Stirts, 61, fire chief at Pilot Knob in Iron County.

And his great-grandfather, Guy Stirts, 84, who still works 12-hour shifts as dispatcher for the Roscoe, Ill., department.

"It's pretty much what they do," said Earlene Stirts, adding that Zach, now 21, was "more or less raised" in the firehouse. If they went on a call, he went along.

Zach said he was motivated as a boy by watching and listening to the older firefighters at the Blackman Road station that used to serve as headquarters. The family spent many evenings there after Rich got off work.

Bud Stirts became the first firefighter in the family 45 years ago after seeing firefighters try to save an electrocuted teenager.

"I saw them working on him, and it kind of moved me," he said.

Third-generation firefighter Rich Stirts re-members that there was not much to do in a small town while he was growing up, so he hung out around the firehouse. He had gone with his dad on calls since he was about 7.

Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District was organized in 1987, and Rich Stirts was named chief in 1992.

Guy Stirts, the first-generation fireman in the Stirts family, although not the first to work as a firefighter, said he helped out around the firehouse for about five years before going full time 17 years ago.

"I don't run on trucks anymore," he said. "Somebody has to stay at the firehouse, and if I stay that relieves a younger man to go fight the fire."

With volunteer departments in years past, he said, there was a fire now and then.

"But now the calls are so continuous that we need full-time people at firehouses to be effective."

The increase in calls can partly be attributed to the fact that they don't just fight fires anymore, explained Earlene, Rogersville's deputy city clerk.

"They respond to medical emergencies, highway accidents, rescue, [hazardous materials], do education, service and basically just about anything that nobody else wants to do."

Zach Stirts, an Ozarks Technical Community College graduate in computer networking, works for UPS Freight full time and at the station part time. His goal is to apply for an information technician position with LRFPD if one opens up.

Guy Stirts has another grandson, Rich's brother Steve Stirts, 33, who serves with Bud in Pilot Knob.

"I'm very proud of my family," the firefighting patriarch said. "Public service is giving back to the community. It's an honor."