Behind every successful Jefferson City firefighter, there stands Denise Bateman.
Bateman, a senior administrative assistant at the Jefferson City Fire Department (JCFD) administration building, is responsible for the city firefighters’ clothes, trucks and paychecks.
“I order all the uniforms and track those, and get them out to the appropriate people quick as I can because more often than not, they need those when they submit those requests,” Bateman said.
She began at the fire department in October 2020 after retiring from the Missouri Department of Conservation, where she supported the deputy director and the regulations committee. Jerry Blomberg, division chief of training, said she quickly became a crucial member of the JCFD team.
“She quickly grasped the nuances of managing a fire department and how to make its firefighters successful,” Blomberg said.
Bateman said the basic skill set — office management, office support and customer service — is the same, but her new job is completely different. She really enjoys working closely with the fire department.
“These folks spend every day preparing for their job, and they work hard to sharpen their skills and make sure their skills are up to date so they’re prepared. It’s gratifying to know that I play a small part in that mission for our community,” Bateman said.
Fire Chief Matt Schofield does not see Bateman’s role as a “small part” of the JCFD. He said Bateman has become an “integral part” of JCFD’s operation in her administrative role.
“Denise … may not wear a uniform or ride on a fire truck, but the exceptional support she provides day in and day out makes our department more effective in almost every way,” Schofield said.
Bateman’s role also includes scheduling visits from the fire department to schools or daycares during October (fire prevention month), keeping track of employee’s immunization records, scheduling maintenance for the five fire stations in Jefferson City and drafting documents for City Council meetings that pertain to the fire department.
“And I’m sure I’m forgetting something, it’s just so different every day,” Bateman said.
Lately, her day has been filled with scheduling fire prevention visits and ensuring the fire department’s invoices for 2023 will be paid by the end of the year.
She juggles everything with the front-desk phone in sight and in mind: Bateman is the fire department’s primary public contact. When a resident calls to ask about the city’s burning season — Nov. 1-March 1 — they’re likely getting answers from Bateman.
“There’s a lot of phone work, a lot of customer service,” Bateman said.
She also assists with scheduling for a Cole County-based welfare program through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Through Cole County’s Women and Infant Children program, qualifying parents may receive a free child safety seat and a firefighter will install the seat correctly in the person’s car.
Bateman spends her days off from work either working in the yard at her home or participating in her favorite activity — playing with her 3-year-old grandson, Victor.