Metro West Fire Gets Another 'Chief'

Wildwood-based Metro West Fire Protection District now has a new chief:  Sister Rosario Delaney, principal of Holy Infant School in Ballwin. Although the title bestowed on her this month was honorary, Delaney said it was one of the biggest honors she has received in her 47 years at the school.

"At one time, I counted that there were 14 firefighters with Metro West that had gone to Holy Infant,” Delaney said. “We need to get some more in there. It is an important job for our community.”

It may have been hard to keep the surprise from Delaney but the staff, students and the managed to do just that with their award. While students and staff celebrated Mass that morning, several firefighters and the directors of the district quietly slipped into the back of church.

When the Mass concluded, Metro West Fire Protection District director and parishioner Mike Noonan stepped to the lectern for the surprise for Delaney. He said she and have been a friend to the district for years, then presented her with a white firefighter's helmet emblazoned with the title of Honorary Chief.

Chief Vincent Loyal then presented Delaney a badge signifying her rank as Honorary Chief, and thanked her again for her service to the community.

“You have been a true friend to the department over the years,” Loyal said.

Delaney said that when she arrived at the school in 1964, the parish priest at the time was a chaplain for the fire department, and instilled in her the importance of fire safety and following district suggestions.

“To this day we take fire drills very seriously,” she said. “It is not just because we are friends of the firemen, but because of the safety of the children.”

“One time we were having a fire drill, and some of the children were coming out of a side door and thought they were not being supervised, but I was watching them,” Delaney said. “I made all of them write a letter to the chief apologizing for talking during the fire drill.”

The story evoked laughter from former chief Jim Silvernail, who still remembers the letters.

“I can't say that I had ever seen that before – or again," Silvernail said.

Mary Cook has known Delaney since 1964 because she and her son, Battalion Chief Rod Cook, both are Holy Infant alumni. She said the school always has taken the safety of the students seriously. Student safety is something Cook would know well, as she's been a bus driver for the for more than four decades.

“Sister has always seen that the children were first in her book, either in safety or school," Cook said.

Delaney had a chance to check out some of Metro West's equipment, and chat with firefighters after the Mass. She even proudly climbed into one of the firetrucks while talking about firefighters who used to be her students.

“This truck is so high up. How do I look?” she asked from the truck's perch.

“You look great," Loyal responded. "You're one person I don't mind sharing my office with.”