Nikki McDowell has seen many changes and tragic incidents throughout his 27 years as a public servant on the Marmaduke Volunteer Fire Department, but he says the safety of his crew is the most important aspect of his role as fire chief.
"I tell my guys put God first, yourself second, your family next, then your job and the fire department after," McDowell said. "You have to do those first four things or you can't be on the fire department; the only reason I've been able to do this as long as I have is because I follow this."
The Marmaduke department currently has 20 firefighters on its roster, including assistant chief Matt Pruett, captains Dustin Estes and Marcus Keller and lieutenants Ashley Catterton and Justin Roberts. The department maintains three pumper trucks, one 3,000-gallon tanker truck, a 110-foot ladder truck, two brush trucks and an instant command rescue truck. The new equipment is extremely advanced compared to the white 1954 model Ford truck used for out-of-town that averaged 35 miles per hour and the 1974 model Darley truck used in town when McDowell began on the department.