Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Denton begins the firefighter academy with classroom instruction, going over hazardous-material information in the Emergency Response Guidebook.

Local academy for new firefighters begins

Bob Foos

Webb City Fire Department began hosting its first firefighting academy this week.

Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Denton has gotten the class approved by the Missouri Division of Fire Safety since he took on his new position on Nov. 1.

Among his students are four newly hired Webb City firefighters, one each from Carl Junction and Carthage and a high school intern.

Fire Chief Andrew Roughton said the academy is necessary because the training is no longer available at local colleges. If it were for just one Webb City firefighter, Roughton said training would be provided at Joplin’s training facility. However, he said he and Denton decided it would be easier for the department to host its own academy than juggle the schedules of multiple firefighters who need to be certified.

Denton is not yet teaching the “fun stuff,” as Roughton calls it, such as climbing ladders and shooting fire hoses.

Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Denton

Right now, he and his students are in a classroom learning how to respond to emergencies involving hazardous materials.

Hazmat certification, explains Roughton, is tedious, but it’s required. There’s no sense learning the “fun stuff” if you can’t pass the hazmat course.

The academy, which will be a 7- to 8-month process, is being conducted Monday and Wednesday mornings at the fire station.

Soon, there will be a foundation on the south side of the fire station for construction of a skills training facility. There used to be a wooden tower there, but it was demolished due to deterioration. Roughton plans to stack shipping containers for the live training.

Even experienced firefighters need to be recertified, so the training facility will be used for more than the academy.

The department is fully staffed now, but Roughton says he thinks training in-house will help recruit firefighters as positions open. “I hate to miss out on those local kids who could do the job but don’t have the opportunity to be certified,” he said.

Roughton points out that Denton’s position as deputy fire chief means he can assume authority of the department in the chief’s absence. That’s different than if he were just assisting the chief.

Roughton came to the department as fire chief and has been here 15 years.

Denton has risen in rank during his 20 years with the department. He was promoted from battalion chief to deputy chief.

The academy's first class includes six new firefighters and an intern. Four of the firefighters are with the Webb City Fire Department. One is from Carthage and the other is from Carl Junction.