By Don Lowe
During his first year in charge, Seneca (Missouri) Fire Department Fire Chief Tyler Crow has every reason to be thrilled with how many positive things have taken place over the past year or so to help further enhance the invaluable work he and his team provide for this town of nearly 2,500.
First and foremost, Seneca’s newest Fire Station on 124 Washington Avenue joins the original facility, located at 517 Oneida Street, and Chief Crow knows this is a big deal.
“We are able to have more room for our tools, apparatuses and training,” Chief Crow said of the new facility. “We now have both sides of tracks covered with extrication in case there is ever a train going by or stopped on the tracks.
“We have a nice gear room, tool room, men’s and women’s bathrooms, plus a handicap bathroom, full kitchen, liåving area, three offices, a reporting room, a massive training room upstairs and three drive-through bays.”
Having state-of-the-art resources is vital, and Chief Crow said, “People need us to have all necessary equipment to be able to help them in any incident or situation and for the importance of keeping my firefighters safe, while being able to do their jobs quickly and efficiently.
“As fire chief, my main priorities and goals are to leave it all at the scene and do the best we can, and to ensure the safety of my firefighters so they can return home to their families after every call.
“I want my firefighters to know everything there is to know and be trained so they can do their jobs to the best of their abilities. We have stepped up our training a lot. We’ve had a lot more hands-on training.”
Chief Crow is most appreciative of all those individuals working for him. “I am beyond thankful for the men and women I do have on my team. If it wasn’t for them and their determination to do better and be better, our small town wouldn’t be what it is today.”
As much as they strive to stay at the forefront of all that’s needed to do quality work, nothing is easy. “The main challenge is getting and keeping enough volunteers.
“It’s also hard keeping up with training so the men and women in this department are ready for anything that comes their way.”
Regardless of how demanding this job can be, Chief Crow finds this line of work gratifying and worthwhile. “It’s about being able to help others and having a second family I can count on.”
All those who live in Seneca can be confident Chief Crow and his entire team will be there every time they are needed.
Seneca Fire Department & Fire Chief Tyler Crow Fast Facts
Age: 33 years old
Spouse: Kendra Crow
Children: 11-year-old Brenton Crow, 6th grade; and 6-year-old Brenic Crow, 1st grade
High School Alma Mater: Wyandotte (Oklahoma) High School Class of 2008
Hometown: Wyandotte, Oklahoma
Fire Department Career: Has been with the Seneca Fire Department for 13 years, starting out as a firefighter, followed by a promotion to fire lieutenant, then fire captain, followed by assistant fire chief and fire chief
Quotable: “I’ve been around it my whole life, and I just love being able to help people when they need us the most.”
Equipment Upgrades: Purchased a pumper tanker and brush truck in 2022. Also received a water rescue boat and 13 sets of bunker gear through grants last year. Additionally, will receive 17 new Air Packs at the beginning of 2023, thanks to the Wyandotte Nation. Will start the dirt work on Honor Walk around the flagpole at the front of the new fire station in 2023. This will feature engraved bricks displayed around the flagpole.
See more photos in the January 2023 print edition or online in the digital edition.