Poplar Bluff fire chief appointed area representative for state association

This story has been edited to correct a typo: Cape Girardeau fire chief Rick Ennis was fired for a "policy" violation, not a "police" violation.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff fire chief Ralph Stucker recently was appointed to represent Southeast Missouri as a director on the Missouri Association of Fire Chiefs.

Stucker said he was asked by then Cape Girardeau fire chief Rick Ennis to serve the remainder of his term, which expires in February 2020. Ennis had been set to retire at the end of 2018, but was fired Dec. 28 for an undisclosed city policy violation.

At the association's December meeting, its board unanimously voted to appoint Stucker to succeed Ennis as the director from Region E.

Stucker's appointment is the first time anyone from Poplar Bluff has served on the association.

Stucker said it was while meeting with Ennis on an unrelated matter the topic of Southeast Missouri's future representation on the association came up.

At that time, Stucker said, Ennis indicated no one had expressed interest in replacing him upon his retirement.

"He asked me if I would be interested, and I said I would do whatever I could do for the region," said Stucker, who indicated the position would have been filled by someone from another region, such as Region C, covering the St. Louis area, if no one locally stepped forward.

"We definitely don't want the representation (for Southeast Missouri) to disappear," Stucker said. "Rick has done a fantastic job for Southeast Missouri. What Rick was big on was residential sprinklers (to protect homes like commercial buildings).

"That was the big issue he worked with the Fire Marshal's Office on."

The association, Stucker said, works with the legislature regarding fire and fire/EMS related issues in Missouri.

As a director, Stucker said, he would like to see statewide building codes put into place.

"Our guys deal with fires in structures that are being built different today than they were 50 years ago," said Stucker, who indicated he would like to see something from the state regarding the codes for the safety of fire personnel.

Stucker said he also will bring information back from the association to the regional meetings he attends, as well as take any local concerns to the association.