PICTURED ABOVE: Chief Campbell and his family pose in City Hall following approval of his appointment by Council.
This past Tuesday, September 6, members of the Missouri City Council unanimously approved the appointment of the latest executive to join the Missouri City team, new Fire & Rescue Services Chief Eugene Campbell, Jr., who succeeds Russell Sander who retired in February and has continued his career at the helm of the Fire Department in Marble Falls, Texas.
Prior to coming to Missouri City, Chief Campbell served as Deputy Chief of Administration-Fire Marshal at the Pasadena Fire Department (PFD) in Pasadena, CA. Chief Campbell holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Work Force Education from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Additionally, he holds an Associate of Arts degree in Fire Service Management and an Associate of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN), Las Vegas.
“I look forward to serving the City,” said Chief Campbell. “I stress collaboration in all areas, and I am determined to always listen, empower and know my staff fully understands our plan of action.”
The Fire Department’s mission is to prevent and mitigate emergencies for the citizens and visitors of Missouri City through dedicated professionals, bound by integrity, using technology and innovation. Chief Campbell will oversee a department of 74 public safety officials and staff members, comprised of four divisions:
- Administration: Includes the Assistant Fire Chief, Division Chief of Emergency Preparedness, and the Administrative Assistant; responsibilities of the division include strategic planning and management of the department
- Operations: The largest division; it is comprised of the highly trained and educated fire service professionals who operate out of five fire stations strategically located throughout the City
- Prevention: Working under the direction of the Fire Marshal, this division is responsible for conducting plan reviews of all new commercial construction projects and is an integral part of the City’s development team
- Training and Education: Staffed by one full-time division Chief and one part-time administrative clerk, this division is responsible for administering promotional exams, career and program development, record keeping, continuing education and writing department policies and procedures
This year and last, the Fire & Rescue Services marked major milestones.
On Aug. 1, the City’s Public Protection Class rating of 1/1Y went into effect. It is the highest rating awarded by the Insurance Services Office (ISO); the agency’s Public Protection Classification Program (PPC) plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. Most U.S. insurers use the PPC information as part of their decision making when deciding what businesses to underwrite, coverages to offer or prices to charge for residential or commercial property insurance. Communities that improve their PPC rating may get lower insurance premiums. And, last September, the Texas Municipal League awarded Missouri City the TML Award of Excellence in the Public Safety Category for Cities with populations of more than 25,000 for the Fire & Rescue Service’s innovative squad program. In 2013, Fire Station 1, the City’s busiest fire station, received more than 1,700 calls, most of which were medical. The department responded to these calls with a large fire truck, resulting in wear and tear on the expensive public safety vehicles. Through the use of analytics, City staff identified the peak hours for the medical calls and made adjustments to personnel and equipment. Instead of sending a fire truck, which cost almost $50 per mile to operate, the fire department began responding to medical calls by SUV, which cost only $1 per mile to operate. As a result, the City has realized savings and the added benefit of reducing medical response times.