Crime & Safety

New O'Fallon Fire Board Member Sworn In Wednesday

Directors of the fire board appointed Matthew Simmons after Tony Lamantia's resignation.

The welcomed a new face to fill a vacant seat on Wednesday evening.

Matt Simmons was chosen by board members Bill Laughlin and , to fill a seat left by former director Tony Lamantia.

According to Scott Avery, spokesman for the O’Fallon Fire Department, Lamantia resigned last week due to personal, family and business reasons.

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At Wednesday’s meeting, Simmons took his oath of office.

Simmons moved to O’Fallon in 2003. He works with Members of Plumber and Pipefitters Local 562.

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Simmons said he heard of the vacancy and “stepped up to serve.”

His previous experience includes a three-year term on the St. Charles County Ambulance District Board, where he served as chairman and vice-chair.

Simmons said he looks forward to helping improve on “an already great fire protection district.”

“I just want to work with the district and board to ensure the O’Fallon Fire Protection District is the finest in the country,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it and very excited.”

At Wednesday’s meeting, Laughlin, Gober and O’Fallon Fire Chief Michael Ballmann welcomed Simmons and said they looked forward to working with him.

“We spent a week with the different department heads and I think it’s going to work out pretty well,” Ballmann said.

During citizen comments, one resident spoke up and said he did not think the process for which Simmons was chosen was fair.

“In all due respect, the process was not done in an open, transparent transaction,” AC Dienoff said.

O’Fallon Fire Protection District Attorney Neil Bruntrager said the process in which Simmons was chosen followed procedure.

According to 321200-Section 2 of Missouri Revised Statutes, when a vacancy occurs, two directors, who have both been elected by the voters, can appoint a new member, Bruntrager said.

 

 

 


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