Deputy Chief Ross Dutton and Captains Dusty McGee and Roy Holtkamp of the Moberly Fire Department recently traveled to Jefferson City to meet with state officials as part of their participation in a statewide leadership academy.
The day began at the Missouri Division of Fire Safety, where the group met with State Fire Marshal Tim Bean. Later, the class had the opportunity to meet with Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe and tour the Missouri State Capitol. During their visit, they also sat in on live sessions of both the State House of Representatives and Senate.
As part of the experience, the firefighters partnered with legislators to gain insight into the legislative process—learning how bills move through the system and why building strong relationships with local representatives is vital to public service.
The visit was part of the Fire Service Leadership Enhancement Program, a quarter-long professional development program hosted by the MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute in partnership with MU Extension. The program is designed to enhance the leadership and management skills of fire officers at the rank of Captain and Battalion Chief.
“This is the best leadership class for the fire service we’ve attended in our careers,” said Deputy Chief Dutton. “It’s a very diverse class of over 30 leaders from a multistate region.”
The academy is broken into three multi-day sessions, each covering a broad range of critical topics, including budgeting, hiring and promotion best practices, navigating cultural differences across generations, and exploring how tools like artificial intelligence can improve operational efficiency.
