Bolivar appoints new deputy fire chief

BOLIVAR, Mo. — A new deputy fire chief has been appointed for the city of Bolivar on Tuesday, September 16.

According to a City of Bolivar press release, John L. Scheper has been hired as the Deputy Fire Chief and as the Assistant Emergency Management Director.

The release says Scheper has been a member of the fire service, emergency management and public safety leadership for nearly four decades. He has served at the local, regional and national levels.

"We’re thrilled to welcome Deputy Chief Scheper to our leadership team," said Bolivar City Fire Chief Brent Watkins in the release. "His depth of experience, his passion for public service, and his proven record of life-saving leadership will significantly enhance our city's emergency preparedness and fire operations." 

Scheper has previously held positions as a member of the Illinois Army National Guard, a Camden County Emergency Management Director, a Fire and EMS Academy Coordinator at Pike-Lincoln Technical Center and as an Emergency Management Director at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.

The new chief began his fire career in 1988 as a firefighter with the Tilden Fire Protection District in Tilden, Illinois.

He has held the position of Deputy Fire Chief for Winfield-Foley Fire Protection District in Winfield, Missouri, and for the Gravois Fire Protection District in Laurie, Missouri.

“I’m honored to join the City of Bolivar and look forward to serving the community with the highest level of dedication, professionalism, and teamwork,” Scheper said in the release. “Public safety is a responsibility I take very seriously, and I’m excited to contribute to the City of Bolivar’s mission of preparedness and protection.”