Longtime fire chief of Shrewsbury dies

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

May 31, 2015

Shrewsbury Fire Chief William P. Fox has died, city leaders announced late Saturday.

Fox, 64, served in area fire departments for nearly 42 years, according to the announcement by the Missouri Fire Service Funeral Assistance Team. He began his career in the early 1970s in Berkeley, and joined Shrewsbury as chief in 1989, the announcement said.

Fox was a former secretary of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 398 and a longtime board member of the St. Louis County Fire Academy and the St. Louis County Special Programs Committee.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Four Chiefs Who Left Monarch District in 2014 Discuss Board Member Falsehoods | Chesterfield, MO Patch

Thanks Patch

APRIL 1, 2015, Chesterfield, Missouri…A police report was filed against Chesterfield resident Larry Hoffman after he blocked roadway access, yelled profanities and interfered with emergency operations as Monarch firefighters and paramedics extinguished a fire at 15133 Still House Creek Road in Chesterfield at about 4:15 pm on Tuesday March 31, 2015.

Hoffman is a vocal supporter of incumbent Monarch Fire Protection District Board President Robin Harris, who is running for re-election in the April 7 election.

Five fire trucks, a rescue truck, two EMS ambulances and a fire marshal from the Monarch Fire Protection District, plus Chesterfield police, were on the scene when Hoffman, who lives nearby, blocked Still House Creek Road with his pickup truck, approached firefighters and began yelling profanities and insults, eyewitnesses said.

Hoffman began to videotape the scene and continue to shout insults at firefighters who successfully extinguished the house fire. Chesterfield police intervened and told Hoffman to move his truck and leave so firefighters could finish their work and safely exit the neighborhood.

“It was totally inappropriate to interfere with emergency services and public safety at the scene of a fire – the firefighters filed a police report for interference immediately,” an eyewitness said. “Luckily, the firefighters extinguished the fire before Mr. Hoffman caused any further trouble. Thanks to the police order, they could get out of there without further incident or any accident.”

The report filed with the Chesterfield Police Department is number 15-1887.

Hoffman is a frequent critic of the Monarch firefighters union who has appeared at Monarch Fire Protection District board meetings to express support for Robin Harris and criticize the firefighters.