The Rock Community Fire Protection District recently held a badge-pinning ceremony for four newly promoted firefighters and four newly hired firefighters.
During the April 14 ceremony at House 5 in Arnold, Rob Bolen and Bryan Menke received their battalion chief badges after previously serving as captains; Scott Argurieo and Jared Kessels received their captain badges after serving as firefighters; and new hires Brian Griffin, Garrett Railey, Greg Rose and Jacob Williams received their firefighter badges.
“This is a joyous occasion for us to see our district grow, bringing in new firefighters and having the promotions of our officers,” Chief Kevin Wingbermuehle said.
Bolen and Menke are taking over battalion chief duties for Greg Heimos, who retired on April 4, and Billy Flurry, who is scheduled to retire on June 13.
“It is bittersweet, though, because with the promotion of our two battalion chiefs, we are losing close to 75 years of experience in the two members who are retiring,” Wingbermuehle said. “We lose a lot of experience and knowledge, but you will see that these folks (Bolen and Menke) are some of the best in the business.”
Bolen and Menke will each be paid an annual salary of $98,389.20, the same salary Heimos had received and Flurry is being paid. Bolen and Menke previously were being paid $90,589.72 a year as captains.
Argurieo and Kessels will be paid annual salaries of $90,589.72 as captains after earning $83,534.36 a year as firefighters.
Griffin, Railey, Rose and Williams each will be paid $70,994.56 annually.
After Flurry retires, the district will have 63 firefighters and a total of 80 employees, Wingbermuehle said.
Battalion chiefs
■ Bolen, 47, of Fenton has been a member of Rock Fire for the past 28 years.
He said he started as a volunteer in 1997 and was hired as a full-time firefighter in 1999. He was promoted to captain in 2016.
Bolen said despite his nearly three decades in the fire service, he didn’t dream of reaching the rank of battalion chief.
“I never thought I would see myself in a white shirt,” he said. “I loved being on the firetruck. I loved being out there with the public. I had some great (battalion chiefs) coming up and seeing how influential they were, I just wanted to honor them by taking a place they had and passing my knowledge on to other firefighters.”
Bolen said he hopes to be the battalion chief that the district’s firefighters deserve.
“What I love about the (battalion chief) idea is I serve my captains and firefighters,” he said. “They don’t work for me; I work for them. My job is to make their jobs easier. I hope to guide these guys and make the best shift that Rock Community has ever had.”
■ Menke, 56, of Arnold has worked as a first responder for the past 35 years and in the fire industry for 34 years.
He said he began his career with the Rock Township Ambulance in 1990 and started working for the Lemay Fire Protection District in 1991. He was hired at Rock Fire in 1997 and promoted to captain in 2007.
Menke said he is ready to take on a larger leadership role at Rock Fire.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as a captain, and I felt like I had come to a point in my career where I was ready to go to the next level and serve in a different capacity and take on some new challenges,” he said. “I have 34 years of experience in the fire service, and I want to take all of that experience, training and things I learned along the way to lead this group of people.”
Menke said he hopes to continue Rock Fire’s aggressive approach to training and continue to nurture the district’s family atmosphere.
“Ultimately, I want to provide the best crew that I can to serve the community with the highest level of skill that we can,” he said.
Captains
■ Scott Argurieo, 29, of Imperial began his career as a junior firefighter with the Cedar Hill Fire Protection District.
He said he became a volunteer for Cedar Hill Fire in 2014 and was hired by that district in 2016. He started working at Rock Fire in 2017.
Argurieo said he is excited to help lead firefighters in his position as captain.
“I want to be in a position to help the firefighters around me grow and live up to their potential,” he said. “I want us to live up to our potential for what we can be in the community.
“Being in that leadership role, I am very grateful. I have been very blessed to have a lot of great mentors over the years.”
■ Kessels, 32, of Union also started his career as a junior firefighter, but he was with the Union Fire Protection District.
He said he became a firefighter in 2011 and was hired full time at Union Fire in 2013. He started working at Rock Fire in 2019.
Kessels said he is proud to be a captain.
“It is a great leadership role,” he said. “I am honored to serve with the men and women who work here. We have some of the best firefighters in the nation. It is an honor to work with them and now to help lead them.”
Firefighters
■ Griffin, 29, of New Athens, Ill., said he was a volunteer for 10 years for the Hecker Fire Protection District in Hecker, Ill., and worked for the Crestwood Fire Department for the past two years.
“There are amazing opportunities here at Rock Community, such as becoming swift water rescue certified, technical rescue training and so much more,” he said.
■ Railey, 34, of Affton has worked in the fire service for the past seven years. He said he has worked for the Robertson Fire Protection District for the last four years, and before that, he worked for the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District in Normandy and the Richmond Heights Fire Department.
“The community, brotherhood at the firehouse and their culture of aggressive training,” he said attracted him to Rock Fire.
■ Rose, 23, of Festus said he worked for the Webster Groves Fire Department for just more than two years and for the Joachim-Plattin Ambulance District for about a year and half.
“I have lived in Jeffco pretty much my whole life, and it is kind of cool to work where I grew up,” said Rose, who has lived in Arnold, Barnhart, Imperial and Pevely. “It is an exciting opportunity.”
■ Williams, 25, of Moscow Mills said he has been in the fire service for the past three years, starting as a volunteer for the Lincoln County Fire Protection District in Troy.
He also worked for the Festus Fire Department and was a full-time firefighter for the Antonia Fire Protection District for the last year.
“They have a really good training program,” he said of Rock Fire. “They are very diverse with the advanced skills you can learn as far as road rescue technician, hazmat technician, and I am a paramedic and will be able to use my paramedic skills.”