Marble Hill fire chief reappointed to state post

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The chief of the Marble Hill Fire and Rescue Department has been reappointed by Gov. Matt Blunt to serve on the Missouri Fire Safety Advisory Board.

James D. Bollinger, 60, who has served on the board since 1997, will fill a different role this term. He was originally appointed by then-governor Mel Carnahan to serve as the fire investigator on the board. Now he will serve in the fire insurer role. Bollinger has been an insurance agent for 30 years and covers fire losses.

Each of the six positions on the board represents a different area of expertise. The seats are one fire chief, one fire equipment distributor, one firefighter, one fire investigator, one fire-training program instructor and one fire insurer. Bollinger qualifies for five of the positions.

The board advises the state fire marshal. "We are basically a six-person oversight board," Bollinger said. "We oversee the activities of the Division of Fire Safety."

Becuase Bollinger is already on the board, he will not require Senate confirmation.

Bollinger is also a certified fire investigator, a certified fire department evaluator, a level II fire service instructor and has served for 28 years as a senior associate instructor with the University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Institute. He also teaches field classes for the National Fire Academy. In Bollinger County he serves as a deputy sheriff and deputy coroner, and is the emergency management director.

His position on the Fire Safety Advisory Board requires six to eight trips to Jefferson City each year. The board also meets various times throughout the year through conference calls.

Bollinger grew up in Stoddard County and graduated from Bell City High School. He began working as a firefighter when he was 16 years old. He flew in the Navy for nearly five years after receiving a bachelor's degree from Central Methodist College.