David Pennington was?appointed as Interim?Fire Chief for the City of Springfield (MO) Fire Department in?February?2017 and was sworn in as Chief of Department on May 28th, 2017.? He is a?23-year veteran of the Department,?leading a 236-member all-hazards fire department providing fire, rescue, EMS, and special operations capabilities across 82.98 mi² for a full-time resident population of 167,051 and metro area population of 353,000. The department provides emergency response teams for hazardous materials and structural collapse, in addition to the Bomb Squad, for the 18 counties of Missouri Homeland Security Region D through the Homeland Security Regional Response System.
Chief Pennington serves the State as Chair of the Regional Homeland Security Oversight Committee for Region-D, as a member of the Missouri?Information?Analysis?Center?(Fusion) Advisory Board, and as a board member for the Missouri Public Employer Labor Relations Association.?Chief Pennington also serves as Co-Chair on the Constitution Bylaws and Resolutions committee for the International Association of Fire Chiefs.??
David began his fire service career as a volunteer in 1994, joining the City of Springfield in 1998 and promoting?to the ranks of Rescue Specialist, Truck Company Captain, Fire Captain, and Battalion Chief.??As Battalion Chief, he served in the Operations Division and?in the Prevention Division?as the Chief of Special Operations,?while?also?serving?as the Acting Assistant Fire Chief of the Training Division.?He became the Assistant Fire Chief of Operations in 2010?where he served until his appointment as Interim Fire Chief.?? ?
Chief Pennington has been awarded designation as a Chief Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence?(CPSE)?and was?recognized by CPSE as the 2020 Ambassador of the Year for his commitment to excellence and promotion of CPSE programs and credentialing.?Chief Pennington was selected as a member of the 2018 class of the Fire Service Executive Development Institute through the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is a graduate of the Executive Leaders Program at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School. Chief Pennington is also certified as an Emergency Manager through the Missouri Emergency Management Association.??
Chief Pennington?served as?a?per course?member of the faculty in the Department of Communication at Missouri State University?from?2005?until 2018. Chief Pennington is active throughout the community, currently serving the United Way of the Ozarks through?the Community Investment?process, and on the Boards of Directors for the United Way of the Ozarks and Community Partnership of Ozarks.??
Chief Pennington has a?bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication and a master’s degree?in Administrative Studies from Missouri State University, and a graduate certificate?in Public Management from the University of Missouri.?