In the past week, a former Joplin fire chief passed away and people come together to celebrate his life

JOPLIN, MO – Family members, friends, and colleagues of a former Joplin fire chief celebrated his service to the community today.

Harry Guinn (Gwen) started working for the “Joplin Fire Department” back in 1953, and stayed for the next 42 years. And from 1981 until his retirement in 1955, he served as chief.

He passed away at the age of 90 last week, so a funeral and “celebration of life” was held today.

Guinn hired another longtime Joplin Firefighter, Howard Reding, who is the current fire chief in Duenweg.

He says he loved working for a man who helped bring the department into the modern age of fighting fires.

“I think getting into the bigger ladder trucks, he started that with the Grumman, the first big Grumman Platform that they brought in and started changing the way we was doing things from them on.” Says Reding.

Darin McCann, Reporting, “So Joplin’s gonna miss somebody like Harry then?”

“I think they missed him the day he walked out the door.” Says Reding.

Guinn stayed active in the Joplin community for many years after his retirement.

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