On Monday, Beth Ezell made history by becoming the first woman to be elevated to a position higher than that of firefighter in the Webb City Fire Department since the department was established in 1882.
Following the aforementioned statement, Fire Chief Andrew Roughton was keen to highlight the fact that her elevation “is not just because she is a woman.” She put forth a lot of effort, and she is a wonderful gift to the city.
Apparently, Roughton has known Ezell ever since she was 18 years old. Gerald Ezell, her father, is the chief of the Joplin Fire Department.
Roughton stated that not everyone was confident in her ability to succeed when she was hired six years ago, but she has demonstrated that she is capable of doing so.
Before pinning Ezell as an engineer, Battalion Chief Scott Pink, who was one of her critics, gave her a hug and stated that she was an engineer. In addition, he mentioned that she is also a registered nurse.
In a conversation with Ezell, Mayor Lynn Ragsdale stated, “We here do not believe in tokenism.” You are in the position that you are in because you have earned it.
Another person that was pinned during the meeting of the City Council was Scott Elliot, who was the newest firefighter in the department.