The City of Perryville has decided to rename the Emergency Services Building at 400 Delaney Street after Bill Jones, who passed away in 2023 after a battle with cancer.
Jones worked in Perryville for more than 40 years, doing various jobs in the fire and police departments.
Throughout his long career, he served as assistant chief of police, assistant fire chief, arson investigator with the state fire marshals office, hazardous materials technician, and City of Perryville emergency management director, he was also a paramedic and adjunct instructor for SEMO law enforcement academy.
Jones started serving the citizens of Perryville in 1983 as a Reserve Officer. In 1984 he became a full-time Patrol Officer with the city. He rose through the ranks quickly, becoming a Sergeant in 1986 and moving up to the rank of Major in 1988.
“Bill helped make the city what it is, emergency services wise,” assistant fire chief Jeremy Mantz said. “Whether it be police, fire, emergency management. He played a huge role in getting all our outdoor warning sirens that we have now to help citizens in Perryville. He wore many, many hats and without him being there with all those hats on, I really don’t know if Perryville will be what it was right now. The fire department alone would not be what it is. We would not have what we have. The citizens wouldn’t be as well protected as they are.”
Jones was involved in many organizations throughout the State of Missouri and nationally. Some of these include the President of the board of Cape Girardeau Area Fire Training Library, Missouri Peace Officers Association, Missouri Fire Chiefs Association, Firefighters Association of Missouri, International Association of Arson Investigators, International Association of Fire Chiefs, Missouri IAAI, Missouri Emergency Management Association, Ozark Firefighters Association, Professional Fire and Fraud Investigators Association.
Jones was also an involved member and elder of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville.
Mantz said shortly after Jones’ passing, the fire department reached out to city administrator Brent Buerck about doing something to honor his legacy, and they eventually decided naming the Emergency Services Building after him would be appropriate since the building serves both the police and fire department, just as Jones had.
“That building was designed to serve both police and fire, which is exactly what Bill Jones did his entire career,” Buerck said. “So when the board was looking for something that may be appropriate for that building, Bill’s name was at the top of everybody’s list. Perryville was fortunate to have him for all the years we did. He was also very involved with the Lutheran Church as an elder and everything else. Bill gave back to the community in many ways. This building will serve us for decades to come, just like Bill did for decades behind us.”
Buerck said that Jones was involved in the design of the building at the time of his death, adding to the significance of the building being named in his honor.
An official ceremony for the dedication of the building will be held on the morning of September 21, at 11 a.m.
