Jim Silvernail
Fire Chief, Kirkwood and Glendale Fire Departments of St. Louis County (MO)
Jim Silvernail, the Fire Chief of the Kirkwood and Glendale Fire Departments of St. Louis County, MO, is a graduate of the National Fire Academy EFO Program and is internationally accredited as a “Chief Fire Officer” (CPSE). Jim is a Past President of the Missouri Valley Division of the IAFC. He is the author of Suburban Fire Tactics (Fire Engineering Books and Videos, 2013), the co-author of Suburban Fire Tactics from the Right Seat video (Fire Engineering Books and Videos, 2016), and co-author of The Nontraditional Truck Company (Fire Engineering Books, 2025). Jim has over 28 years of experience and was a lead instructor at the St. Louis County Fire Academy, specializing in truck company operations. In addition to his published texts, Jim has written numerous articles for Fire Engineering magazine, serving as an advisory board member to both Fire Engineering Magazine and the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC). He is a workshop instructor at FDIC (2011-2025) and presents at various regional conferences and events. He served on the board of the International Association of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) and has also served as a member of MO-TF 1 (a FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Team), serving as a Planning Team Manager. Chief Silvernail is a member of the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission and a Hall of Fame member of the St. Louis Titan100.
Chief Silvernail’s formal education includes: an AAS in Fire Protection Technology from St. Louis Community College, a BA in Business Administration/Finance from Truman State University, and an MS in Human Resource Management from Lindenwood University.