Fire Protection District Governance
The Metro West Fire Protection District is Governed by an elected Board of Directors. Directors are residents of the Fire Protection District and serve six year terms.
In Missouri each fire district is controlled by a board of directors consisting of 3 or 5 persons. These persons are elected to office at the April (Municipal) election. The terms are staggered so there is an election every 2 years.
Many people often ask what benefits there are to a “Fire Protection District. In Missouri, fire protection can be provided to the public by
- (1) an association or company organized to assist its members,
- (2) a city fire department, or
- (3) a fire protection district.
As a general rule, the advantage of an FPD over association-provided service are (a) the ability to retain fixed boundaries, and (b) having a source of funding that everyone contributes to support. The main advantage of an Fire Protection District over a city fire department is that most city fire departments end up having to “subsidize” rural fire service because of the inability to generate enough voluntary membership contributions.
In our County Fire Protection Districts benefit the public served by directly funding their services. Without funding competition in other areas such as municipal organizations such as Parks, Public Works etc. tax revenues, grant funding and fees for services can be directly allocated back to the Fire, EMS, Rescue and other Services that Fire Protection Districts provide. The ability to control, forecast, and plan for purchases of essential equipment and manpower needs is improved through the Fire Protection District model.
Tim Flora
Chairman, Board of Directors
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Tim B. Flora, Director has over 45 years of public safety experience. Director Flora served as a Volunteer Firefighter with the Ballwin Fire Protection District (now Metro West) for three years. Director Flora has been a Board member with the Metro West Fire Protection District since 2001. Director Flora has worked in federal law enforcement, as an investigator with the Greater St. Louis Major Case Squad, and as an investigator and supervisor with local law enforcement. Director Flora holds a Master of Arts degree in Legal Studies from Webster University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Management, and a two year certificate in Criminal Justice. Director Flora is a graduate of the Academy of Polygraph Science, and is a certified / licensed Polygraph Examiner. Also, Director Flora has received training from such entities as the Greater St. Louis Police Academy, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Director Flora is the Chairman of the Board for the Central County Emergency 911 dispatch center and has served on that Board since 2002. Director Flora also serves on the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission and on the Board of Directors of the Greater St. Louis Major Case Squad.
Director Flora is a past recipient of the law enforcement Medal of Valor, and Director Flora has received numerous distinguished awards and commendations during his extensive service in public safety.
Director Flora is President of a St. Louis based private investigative and security agency. Director Flora serves on the Missouri State Board of Private Investigator and Private Fire Investigator Examiners – Missouri Division of Professional Registration.
Mark Macinski
Secretary, Director
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For biographical information regarding Director Macinski please contact the district at 636-458-2100.
Michael Thompson
Treasurer, Director
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Director Michael Thompson has nearly 30 years of public safety experience, serving three years as a Reserve Police Officer and over 26 years as a commissioned Police Officer for the Chesterfield Police Department. During his law enforcement career, Director Thompson held a variety of supervisory and leadership positions to include Emergency Management Director; Deputy Commander of the Greater St. Louis Major Case Squad; Executive Board member of Law Enforcement Officials of Greater St. Louis; member of the Missouri State Office of Emergency Management, Region C Incident Support Team; and member of the FBI National Academy Associates. Director Thompson currently works in cyber security for a St. Louis based corporation.
Director Thompson has a BA in Business Administration from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and is a graduate of the 263rd session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. Director Thompson and his family have been residents of the District since 2008.
Command Staff
G. Michael Krause III
Chief of Fire and EMS Services
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Chief Mike Krause is a fourth generation firefighter who began his career with the Ballwin Fire Protection District in 1990 as a reserve firefighter. He was hired as a career Firefighter / Paramedic in 1993, Mike has since served the district in many capacities. He was promoted to Engineer in 1997, Lieutenant in 2001, Captain in 2005, Battalion Chief in 2009. In 2011, Mike was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief of Operations & Chief of Training and in April of 2015 he was promoted to lead the organization as Chief of Fire & EMS Services.
Chief Krause has a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Lindenwood University. In addition, he holds numerous fire, rescue, and EMS certifications and has been awarded many citations during his career. His primary organizational goal is to continue to identify and develop the abundance of talent within the ranks of Metro West, ensuring a continuum of excellence in service.
Throughout his career, he has always placed a premium on training and has been instrumental in the development and delivery of the district’s comprehensive, in-house fire training program. In his role of Deputy Chief of Operations & Chief of Training he was responsible for administration of the fire suppression, rescue, HAZMAT, and training of all staff with regards to services delivered. These critical assignments ensured that all expectations were met, projects are accomplished in a timely manner & within budget parameters which prepared him for the position of Chief of Fire & EMS Services.
Born and raised in the Ballwin area, Chief Krause resides in Wildwood with his wife and three children.
John D. Bradley
Assistant Chief Fire & EMS Services
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Assistant Chief John Bradley began his fire service career with Metro West Fire Protection District in 1992 as a volunteer firefighter. In 1998, Chief Bradley was hired as a Firefighter / Paramedic. He quickly rose through the ranks from Lieutenant and then in 2009, he was promoted to Captain and Battalion Training Officer for “A” shift. In July of 2012 he was promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief & Shift Commander for “C Shift”. Then in February of 2013, he was promoted the rank of Deputy Chief, Chief Medical & Human Resources Officer. In April of 2015 he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief of Fire & EMS services.
He serves as a member of the elite Missouri Task Force 1 sponsored by the Boone County Fire Protection District in Columbia, Missouri. Within the specialty federal team, Chief Bradley utilizes his skills as a Safety Officer. He has been on multiple federal deployments including hurricane relief in multiple states.
Chief Bradley is a graduate of the FEMA / Emergency Management Institutes Advanced Public Information Officer program and several National Fire Academy classes, both located on the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He is an Instructor for the State of Missouri’s Public Information Officer training. In 2016 he started his studies in the elite “Executive Fire Officer” four year training program at the National Fire Academy.
His strengths and skills are supported by a solid higher education that benefits the community he serves. He holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Management, a Bachelors Degree in Fire Science Management from Lindenwood University, and an Associates Degree from St. Louis Community College in Fire Science. He is an avid endurance athlete completing several marathons and Ironman competitions.
Chief Bradley is married, has three children and resides in Wildwood.
Brad Shelton
Deputy Chief Chief Medical Officer
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Deputy Chief Brad Shelton began his fire service career with Metro West Fire Protection District in 1997 as a volunteer firefighter. His first career position was working as a Firefighter/Paramedic for the Maplewood Fire Department where he served for two years. In 2000, Chief Shelton was hired as a Firefighter / Paramedic. He quickly rose through the ranks as Lieutenant in 2007 and then in 2009, he was promoted to Captain. In April of 2015 he was promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief, Chief Medical Officer and in 2017 he was elevated to one of three Deputy Chief’s for Metro West.
Chief Shelton was instrumental in shaping and developing the public education, public relations, & injury prevention programs. His background in elementary education uniquely prepared him for community risk reduction program leadership. In addition, he served over 10 years as Shop Steward of the Metro West Firefighters Union shaping positive relations with management and labor.
Chief Shelton is a graduate of Murray State University and holds a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education. He has an Associates degree in Fire Science, is a nationally certified “Incident Safety Officer” and “Health Safety Officer”. He has many certifications and many advanced levels of training and education in Emergency Medicine and pre-hospital emergency medical treatment. He serves Metro West as the Chief Medical Officer responsible for all aspects of our pre-hospital advanced life support service. He is a trained Safety Officer and is the chairman of the Firefighter Health and Wellness Committee for Metro West.
Deputy Chief Shelton is married, has three children and resides in Wildwood.
Michael S. Digman
Deputy Chief, Operations and Training
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Deputy Chief Mike Digman serves as the chief of operations and training for the Metro West Fire Protection District. He has been a dedicated member of the Metro West team since 1997 and is a strong advocate for professional training and development within the fire service. Chief Digman holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science and a master’s degree in human resource management from Lindenwood University.
Chief Digman serves as president of the St. Louis County Special Operations Team and is the program manager for the urban search and rescue (USAR) group. This team is made up of members from multiple St. Louis County fire agencies and is tasked with search and rescue and HAZMAT response for the county. He manages the Metro West Dive/Rescue program, the only subsurface water rescue team in St. Louis County. Chief Digman has deployed to support several major disaster responses, including hurricanes, flooding in Colorado, an Amazon warehouse tornado collapse, the Joplin, Missouri tornadoes, and multiple water rescue operations.
Chief Digman also directs Metro West’s Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) International Accreditation process. This ongoing assessment evaluates the district’s response performance, community risk analysis, and critical tasks to ensure continuous improvement in service delivery.
Chief Digman contributes to the fire service industry on a national level, serving on an advisory committee for the research and development of firefighting personal protective equipment. He is also an active participant in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 Standard, helping to shape national guidelines for resource deployment and response.
Chief Digman and his wife, Amy, reside in Wildwood with their two daughters.
Joseph Haefer
Deputy Chief, Fire Marshal
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Deputy Chief / Fire Marshal Joe Haefer began his fire service career with the Shrewsbury Fire Department, where he served for three years as a firefighter/paramedic. In 1999, he joined the Metro West Fire Protection District as a volunteer firefighter/paramedic and was hired in a full-time capacity in 2000. He steadily advanced through the ranks, earning promotions to lieutenant in 2009, captain in 2013, and battalion training officer in January 2016. Later that year, he was promoted to battalion chief and served as a shift commander until November 2023.
Chief Haefer’s strong interest in fire prevention led him to transition to the Division of Fire Prevention, where he served as battalion chief / assistant fire marshal. Throughout 2024, he worked closely with Deputy Chief / Fire Marshal Rod Cook, gaining extensive knowledge and experience in the division. Following Chief Cook’s retirement, Chief Haefer was promoted to deputy chief / fire marshal in January 2025.
Chief Haefer holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Lindenwood University and an associate’s degree in fire protection and paramedic technology. He has completed numerous leadership training courses through the National Fire Academy and FEMA. Chief Haefer also holds certifications as a fire officer, fire instructor, fire inspector, plans examiner, and fire investigator through the Missouri Division of Fire Safety.
An active member of the St. Louis Area Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), Chief Haefer is a trained technician in structural collapse, rope rescue, trench rescue, confined space rescue, and swift water rescue. His dedication and service were recognized with the prestigious Chief’s Commendation in 2013.
Chief Haefer and his wife, Linda, reside in Wildwood with their four children.
Travis Bauer
Battalion Chief, “A Shift”
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Battalion Chief Travis Bauer started with the Metro West Fire Protection District in 1994 as a volunteer Firefighter. In 1999, Chief Bauer started as a career Firefighter/Paramedic with Metro West. In 2011, he was promoted to Engineer/Paramedic, then, in to the position of Lieutenant in 2011. In 2015, he was promoted to Captain then in May of 2016 he was promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief, Shift Commander of “B” Shift.
Chief Bauer has received two Unit Citation awards presented by The Greater St. Louis Area Fire Chief’s Association. He was also selected by the Knights of Columbus as Firefighter of the Year in 2015. Chief Bauer presently has six Lifesaving Phoenix Awards which means he has participated in over 18 clinical saves in his career.
He has earned and Associates Degree in Fire Science from Columbia Southern University and currently completing a Bachelors Degree in Fire Administration.
Born and raised in the Ballwin area, Chief Bauer resides in Wildwood with his wife and four children.
Mark Moore
Battalion Chief, “B Shift”
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Battalion Chief Mark Moore began his career with Metro West Fire Protection District in 1990, coming from the City of St. Louis Emergency Medical Services. With over 35 years of experience in emergency services, Mark has served the district as a lieutenant beginning in 2000, captain in 2002, and was promoted to battalion chief in 2021. Mark is one of three chief officers who lead a shift of thirty firefighter paramedics and five stations.
Chief Moore holds a bachelor’s degree in Fire Service Administration from Columbia Southern University, an associate degree in Paramedic Technology, and is an Internationally Accredited Chief Fire Officer with the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Mark holds technician-level certifications in Structural Collapse, Confined Space Rescue, Rope Rescue, Trench Rescue, and Hazardous Materials. Mark is a state-certified Fire Officer and Fire Service Instructor. He is also a UASI Strike Team 3 Urban Search and Rescue Team member for the St. Louis region.
Chief Moore has been a strong firefighter health and wellness advocate throughout his career and is a leader of the Health and Wellness Committee for the District.
Mark resides in Ballwin with his wife and youngest of three children.
Dave Kupfer
Battalion Chief, “C Shift”
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Dave Kupfer begins this year with a new role as he was recently promoted to battalion chief. Dave is most looking forward to sharing his extensive experience with younger employees, allowing them to grow into their roles as firefighters and officers. Dave carries with him vast experience over a rewarding career.
After graduating from high school, Dave aimed to become an EMT and set off on the journey with his best friend since 5th grade, Chris Zang. Dave’s formal entry into the emergency medical services (EMS) started at Christian Hospital EMS in 1989. While working full-time, he attended paramedic school, obtaining his license in 1991. In August 1991, he joined the University City Fire Department, remaining part time with Christian Hospital EMS until 1996.
A significant turning point occurred in May 1993 when Dave joined the Ballwin Fire Protection District. Dave’s career within the fire service evolved, and in 1997, he became an engineer, working on the rescue truck out of Station 1 in Ballwin. This role exposed him to diverse experiences, allowing him to run challenging calls. In 1999, he moved up the ranks to lieutenant, followed by a promotion to captain in 2001.
When asked why he enjoys being a firefighter, Dave emphasizes the camaraderie with his coworkers. He expresses genuine enjoyment in running calls and finding fulfillment in the unique challenges the fire service offers.
Dave holds several technical rescue certifications including structural collapse, high-angle rope, confined space, and trench rescue. He is also certified in boat operations with a focus on side sonar scanning. Dave pursued his passion for knowledge by earning an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science from Pikes Peak Community College in 2000.
Dave actively participated in the union as shop steward with his motivation stemming from a deep belief in the people he worked with. It was also this commitment which influenced his decision to climb the ranks to continue supporting those within the organization.
Outside of work, Dave shares a love for travel with his wife, Patti. Together they have explored Europe, visiting Amsterdam, Milan, and Paris. One of their favorite trips was to New York City. Dave is a proud father of three children: Zak (29), Shannon (28), and Lucas (26). He enjoys playing golf with his long-time friend Chris Zang, who ended up working on the same fire truck as Dave at Metro West.
Michael D. Thiemann
Division Chief, External Affairs and Emergency Management
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In 2003, Michael started his career at the Metro West Fire Protection District. His initial assignment was to implement CERT training and to support the public relations and public education programs. In 2018, Mike received a promotion to Division Chief of External Affairs & Emergency Management. In this capacity, he manages Life Safety Education Programs, Media Relations, Emergency Management, Public Information, Public Relations, and special projects.
Mike serves regionally as the Planning Section Chief for Region C Fire Mutual Aid and is a Type 3 member of the St. Louis Area All-Hazards Incident Support Team. He serves as Treasurer of the Board for the Missouri Fire Service Alliance and is the Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors for the St. Louis Metro Fire Service Alliance. He is a founding member of the Meramec Valley Citizen Corps Council Board of Directors where he serves as a past Council President and is active in CERT in St. Louis County. In 2018, Mike was appointed by Saint Louis University as an Advisory Board Member for SPS Emergency Management programs. He is also Adjunct Faculty at SLU in the School for Professional Studies, Emergency Management, and Homeland Security section.
He achieved his master’s degree in Management & Leadership from Webster University in the spring of 2018. His undergraduate degree is in Emergency Management from Grand Canyon University. Mike holds many certifications in emergency management, fire service executive planning, & disaster response through the National Fire Academy, & Emergency Management Institute.
Inspectors & Investigators
Media Center
The Metro West Fire Protection District provides media representatives access to information for emergency and non-emergency matters. Our team works diligently to be an effective and collaborative partner while respecting those impacted by the emergency or matter in question.
Members of the media with questions regarding breaking news and emergency incidents should contact mattco@metrowest-fire.org or call 636-628-6166. For routine media inquiries or interview requests, please email mattco@metrowest-fire.org and describe your request.
Public Information Officers
METRO WEST IN THE COMMUNITY
