Command Staff & Personnel

His certifications include Fire Instructor, Fire Officer II, and Incident Safety Officer, and he has completed Command and Control training through the National Fire Academy along with numerous Incident Command System courses. Over his career, Brian has risen through the ranks from Private to Captain, and he now serves as Assistant Chief of Operations, overseeing the daily operations of the Fire District.

Steve's passion for child safety led him to become a child passenger safety technician and instructor, and he has performed more than 3,000 child safety seat checks at the firehouse and community events. He holds Missouri State certifications as Fire Officer I, Fire Investigator, Fire Inspector II, and Fire Instructor I, and he has completed a range of National Fire Academy courses, including Fire Investigation Fundamentals, Interview and Courtroom Testimony, Electrical Fires, Water-Based Fire Protection Plans Review, and Plans Review for Fire and Life Safety.

Promoted to full-time Fire Inspector in 2021, Steve was promoted to Fire Marshal in March 2026 following Fire Marshal Robinson's retirement. He is a member of IAFF Local 2665, the Muddy River FOOLS, the International Association of Arson Investigators, and the Metropolitan Fire Marshals Association.

Mark holds an Associate of Applied Science in Paramedic Technology from St. Louis Community College, a Bachelor of Science in EMS Administration, and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia Southern University. He is a credentialed Chief EMS Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence and a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy. He holds numerous Incident Command System (ICS) certifications, including position-specific certifications for Liaison Officer, Planning Section Chief, Situation Unit Leader, and Resource Unit Leader.

Mark is a Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructor through the American Heart Association and serves as Affiliate Faculty for the National Association of EMTs' PHTLS course. He is a contract instructor for the EMS Incident Operations, Management of EMS, and Leadership in Supervision courses at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD, and an adjunct instructor for the Enhanced All-Hazards Incident Management/Unified Command course at the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service in College Station, TX.

Mark is a member of many national fire and EMS associations, including the National Association of EMTs, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of EMS Chiefs, and the National Association of EMS Educators, and is a non-physician member of the National Association of EMS Physicians. He chairs the Missouri East Central Region EMS Committee and serves as Team Manager of the Missouri Region C Incident Support Team. Mark is also the host of the Not A-Fib Podcast, powered by JEMS and available under the JEMS EMS Today umbrella wherever you find podcasts.

Deputy Chief Krato holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fire Science Administration. He is a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NREMT-P) and holds certifications as a Fire Instructor II, Fire Officer II, Incident Safety Officer, and Live Fire Instructor. This combination of operational, medical, and instructional expertise allows him to develop training that reflects the real demands of the job and the high standards of the District.