Candidates Filing for 2013 Spring Elections

Seats on the Town and Country and Manchester board of aldermen, West County EMS and Fire Board and the Parkway School Board are all up for election along with the position of Town and Country Mayor.

UPDATED: Jan. 14 - The race is on for municipal, fire protection district and school board candidates in local elections to be held April 2, 2013. (Sign up here for the FREE Patch Newsletter, including Breaking News Alerts.) The official filling period began Dec. 11 and will run until Jan. 15, 2013. Patch has a list of all those who have filed so far in the elections that will impact Town and Country and Manchester residents.  Council members are elected to two-year terms, while the mayor serves for four. Editor's Note: This article will be periodically updated as new filling information becomes available.  City of Town and Country Four of seats on the Town and Country Board of Aldermen are be up for election in April: Lynn Wright from …

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Photos From Town and Country's Newly Renovated Fire House

Check out the photos from the Dec. 8 open house that offered a tour of the recently updated fire station at Clayton and Mason roads.

West Co. Fire Searching For New Fire Marshal

The search comes after former fire marshal Terry DeGuentz resigned in October.

The West County EMS & Fire Protection District is searching for a new fire marshal after Terry DeGuentz resigned from the position on Oct. 4. West County provides fire service for Town and Country and Manchester. (For instant news updates follow Patch on Facebook and Twitter.) The fire district isn't releasing many details about the resignation citing personnel matters. "We don't discuss personnel issues," Fire Chief Ernie Rhodes tells Patch. "He left on his own accord to pursue other professional options," Deputy Chief Jeff Sadtler tells Patch. "He did just finish his degree." Patch spoke to DeGuentz who confirmed his resignation and said that he recently received his bachelor's degree in fire science. He said after working in the fire …

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West County EMS and Fire Reduces 2012 Tax Rate

The West County EMS and Fire Protection District stated in a news release that it's reducing the 2012 residential tax rate and rolling back the debt service rate.

The following information was provided by the West County EMS and Fire Protection District in a news release. The West County EMS & Fire Protection District’s Board of Directors has approved a 2012 residential tax rate reducing taxes by $0.0020 (cents) while setting a rate of $0.8960 (cents) per $100 assessed valuation to be distributed between general, ambulance, dispatch, pension and debt service funds. Additionally, the debt service rate is being voluntarily rolled back by $0.2040 (cents) per $100 assessed valuation. The West County EMS & Fire Protection District continues to have the second lowest residential tax rate of any fire protection district offering EMS in St. Louis County. "We realize the impact the economic challenges have …

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New Chief Named For West County EMS And Fire

Ernie Rhodes was named as the new fire chief Thursday evening. The former St. Charles fire chief brings 32 years of experience to the district.

Ernie Rhodes replaces David Frazier who served as the West County EMS & Fire Protection District fire chief since 2004. As previously reported by Patch, Frazier has been with the fire district since 1987, but was "reassigned" from fire chief to deputy chief of logistics in June. (Sign up here for the FREE Patch Newsletter, including Breaking News Alerts.) Since then, the fire district has been operating without an official chief, but after a local and national search, the fire board announced Rhodes as the district's new chief Thursday evening. Rhodes comes to West County from the City of St. Charles where he served as fire chief for nine years. There he managed 84 personnel and a $10.5 million dollar budget, according to the West County …

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Fiery Car Crash Injures Two in West County

Emergency crews responded to the crash at Dougherty Ferry and Carman roads Tuesday night. One car caught fire and two people were hospitalized.

West County EMS and Fire Protection District crews responded to the crash at Dougherty Ferry and Carman roads, just on the outskirts of Manchester, around 9:51 p.m. Tuesday. (Sign up here for the FREE Patch Newsletter, including Breaking News Alerts.) A passerby notifed Manchester Police that there was an accident with a car on fire. Manchester police arrived on the scene, but realized the crash was in unincorporated St. Louis County, so St. Louis County Police handled the accident. West County Deputy Chief Jeff Sadtler tells Town and Country - Manchester Patch a utulity pole was knocked down as a result of the accident. No word on what caused the initial crash, but one car caught fire as a result. "It looked like the rear end of the one …

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West County Fire Chief Search Underway, Candidates to be Reviewed

The West County EMS and Fire Protection District board is reviewing candidates, while former fire chief David Frazier Jr. tells Patch he found out he was no longer chief the day the board voted on the change.

The West County EMS & Fire Protection District is in the process of finding a new EMS and Fire Chief. Fire board members tell Patch that the application period for the local and national search ended July 27 and they hope to meet with all parties involved in the decision making process in the next week or two. (Sign up here for the FREE Patch Newsletter, including Breaking News Alerts.) As previously reported by Patch, former fire chief David Frazier's position changed from fire chief to deputy chief of logistics on June 11. Frazier has been with the fire district since 1987 and served as fire chief since 2004. He tells Patch he was not given an official reason from board members on why he was no longer the fire district's chief and he …

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Two New Hires for West County EMS and Fire

After laying off three employees and demoting Fire Chief Dave Frazier last month, the West County EMS and Fire Protection District announces two new firefighter/paramedics.

After laying off three employees and demoting Fire Chief Dave Frazier in June, the West County EMS and Fire Protection District announces two new firefighter/paramedics. (Sign up here for the FREE Patch Newsletter, including Breaking News Alerts.) According to Deputy Chief Jeff Sadtler, Firefighter/Paramedic Joe Bauer began employment on June 5 and will be assigned to Station 2 on C-Shift. Bauer comes from Warren County Ambulance District where he worked for three years. Firefighter/Paramedic Cody Jennemann began his employment on June 26 and will be assigned to Station 3 on B-Shift. Jennemann is coming from the Richmond Heights Fire Department where he worked for four years. The two new hires began working the same month that David …

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West County Fire Issues Statement on Fire Chief's Demotion

The West County EMS and Fire Protection District issued a statement Monday regarding the position change this month of David Frazier from fire chief to deputy chief of logistics.

The West County EMS & Fire Protection District released the statement Monday. Patch readers can view the statement in full in the PDF portion of this article. As previously reported by Patch, David Frazier's position change from fire chief to chief to deputy chief of logistics came on June 11. Patch's calls and emails to members of the West County EMS and Fire Protection District Board of Directors, including Chairman Richard Rognan, have not been returned. (Sign up here for the FREE Patch Newsletter, including Breaking News Alerts.) In Monday's statement, the fire district said that Frazier was reassigned in an effort to better position him and the district for the future. Frazier has not returned Patch's phone calls and emails for a …

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Who Picks Up the Phone When You Dial 911?

West County EMS, the fire and paramedic service that covers both Town and Country and Manchester, may soon have its calls routed through a larger dispatch service.

West County EMS emergency calls are handled by Central County Emergency 911, a dispatching service in Ellisville that answers about 30,000 emergency calls from across west St. Louis and Franklin counties. West County EMS responded to over 4900 of those calls last year, with around 60 percent of the calls originating in the Town and Country or Manchester areas, according to West County EMS Chief David Frazier. Central County is working on a merger with North Central Fire Alarm, a similar dispatching service that handles calls for 17 fire and EMS departments in North St. Louis County, including fire departments in Kinloch, Spanish Lake, Florissant Valley and Hazelwood. The merger would affect 23 fire departments in total, though Frazier says…

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