By order of the Governor of the State of Missouri, U.S. and Missouri flags should be flown at half-staff at all government buildings in Boone County, the Firefighter Memorial of Missouri in Kingdom City, and firehouses statewide on Tuesday, December 28, 2021, from sunrise to sunset in honor of Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Bryant Gladney.
State government departments are responsible for distributing this information throughout your department for compliance with this order. You can find the proclamation from the Governor here.
Mark Hill
Director, OA FMDC
WHEREAS, Bryant E. Gladney began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter with the Boone County Fire Protection District in 1986 and was promoted to Lieutenant of Station 1 in 1994; and
WHEREAS, Lieutenant Gladney was hired by the Fire District to serve as the EMS Education Program Manager in 2011 and was promoted to Captain in 2015; and
WHEREAS, in 2020 Captain Gladney was promoted to Assistant Chief and was assigned to lead the EMS Bureau, and in 2021 assumed responsibilities for the Fire District's Training Bureau, serving as Bureau Director, and he also served as one of four Fire District Duty Chiefs; and
WHEREAS, in the early morning darkness on December 22, 2021, Assistant Chief Gladney was among the selfless first responders who responded to a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 70 westbound, east of Columbia, near Route Z, and while Assistant Chief Gladney and other Boone County Fire Protection District and EMS personnel worked at the accident scene a tractor trailer struck fire service and EMS vehicles, killing Assistant Chief Gladney in the line of duty; and
WHEREAS, Assistant Chief Gladney had been honored with the 25-year service award with the Boone County Fire Protection District and was an original member of Missouri Task Force I - ·serving as a Technical Team Manager, and was deployed to New York City in the aftermath of9/ l l and Hurricane Isabel in 2003; and
WHEREAS, throughout his 25-year career, Assistant Chief Gladney was dedicated to mentoring and training younger members of the fire service so that they could carry out their duty of protecting the public; and
WHEREAS, firefighters courageously and selflessly devote their lives to ensuring the safety and well-being of their fellow citizens; and WHEREAS, the people of the State of Missouri are thankful for the sacrifices of the brave emergency responders who risk their own lives to protect the lives and property of their fellow citizens.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Michael L. Parson, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, as a mark of respect for the death of
ASSISTANT CHIEF BRYANT E. GLADNEY
and for his bravery and service to the Boone County Fire Protection District and the citizens of Boone County do hereby order that the flag of the United States and the flag of Missouri shall be flown at half-staff at every fire station in the State of Missouri and at the Fire Fighters Memorial, located in Kingdom City, Missouri, and at all government buildings in Boone County from sunrise until sunset on December 28, 2021.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, in th f efferson, this 27th day of December, 2021.