The Festus Fire Department has a new chief.
Travis Wood, who had been a firefighter and public information with the department, has been promoted to the chief job, replacing the late Kevin Cremer, who died Jan. 24 after an extended battle with COVID-19. Cremer was 48.
The Festus City Council voted unanimously Monday, March 14, to promote Wood to the top job.
Wood, 30, was chosen from among five candidates, all Festus Fire Department employees, City Administrator Greg Camp said.
Mayor Sam Richards said Wood stood out during interviews.
“We went through the selection process, and Travis did a great job,” Richards said. “We interviewed three. We’re confident in his ability to take the Fire Department forward. He was very well organized and has a five-year plan we were impressed with.”
Wood’s annual salary as chief is about $62,000, and Cremer’s final salary in the position was $65,800, Camp said.
Wood said his salary as a firefighter/public information officer was $47,299.
“It’s an honor to be coming in after Kevin,” Wood said. “I worked very closely with him.”
Wood has worked as a firefighter for 12 years, the last four with the Festus Fire Department.
“(Becoming a fire chief) has been a career goal,” he said.
Wood will lead a department of eight full-time firefighters, 17 part-time firefighters and 15 volunteers.
He said he intends to stress education and training in the department.
“We are going to continue to grow with our certifications, have more training and try to add more personnel,” he said.
Wood said the department will need to fill the full-time firefighter job that opened up after he was promoted.
Wood and his wife, Savannah, live in Blackwell and have three children.
“I’ve got to move to Festus,” Wood said.