User:BCFDFF/BCFPD

The Boone County Fire Protection District (BCFPD) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Boone County, Missouri. BCFPD is the largest volunteer fire department in the state, and the third largest fire service organization overall, protecting 532 square miles (1,378 km²) of residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural property and over 50,000 people. This is the largest fire protection service area in the state.

The Fire District operates with a volunteer staff of approximately 300 personnel who annually give over 117,000 hours of volunteer service to the organization, supported by a career staff of 16 people that provide training, maintenance, public safety education and administrative services to the District. The Fire District is governed by a voter elected five-member board (per state statutes) which oversees operations and appoints the fire chief. The chief designates such volunteers and career staff authorized by the Board as being essential to carry out the responsibilities of the Fire District.

BCFPD is an all hazards response agency emergency for the community. With an annual operating budget of $3.9 million, the Fire District is designated as the statewide hazardous materials team and serves as the base for the central Missouri fire incident management team for large-scale emergency events and the regional coordination point for Region F of the State Fire Mutual Aid System. Additionally, Missouri Task Force 1, one of only 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Teams, is a division of the fire district.

History


Prior to 1964, there was no organized fire protection in Boone County beyond the corporate city limits of the City of Columbia. In 1963, an elderly handicapped woman died in a house fire immediately west of the city limits of Columbia. A small band of CB Radio enthusiasts, which called themselves the Central Missouri Radio Squad, came together and determined that someone must take the initiative to develop a rural fire protection system for Boone County.

In 1964, in an abandoned chicken house on Route PP northeast of Columbia, the Central Missouri Radio Squad Volunteer Fire Department was formed. The first fire apparatus was an old milk delivery truck donated by Mr. J. Patrick Barnes. The first fire chief was John Dineen, a safety specialist for Columbia Mutual Insurance Companies. Donations were solicited, volunteers purchased gasoline out of their own pockets and some items were literally stolen during the early phases of development. Initial protection was provided through a membership or “fire tag” system that allowed Boone County residents to purchase fire protection for five dollars per year. In late 1964, sufficient funds were raised to start the construction of what was to become the first “real” fire station in the organization. This station was established on Route PP, approximately ½ mile east of what is presently Highway 63. Additional equipment was acquired through military surplus and additional donations.

In 1968, Bill Westhoff assumed the position of fire chief. Westhoff was employed by the University of Missouri Fire Training Institute (MUFRTI). It was this early relationship that instilled the organizational commitment to a quality training program that continues today.

In 1970, state laws were adjusted to make the formation of fire protection districts in out-state Missouri easier. The volunteer firefighters of the Central Missouri Radio Squad campaigned actively throughout Boone County in an effort to form what was to become the first out-state fire protection district (outside the St. Louis/Kansas City area). With a voter approval rate of 375 ayes and 229 nays, the Boone County Fire Protection District was formed on July 11, 1970.

The first Board of Directors moved quickly to establish additional fire station locations in Rocheport, Hallsville and Harrisburg. The facilities were meager, to say the least, and the equipment was very marginal; however, these locations ultimately developed into strong fire protection units and, in addition to the original station on Route PP in Columbia, became the hub of what was to ultimately become the third largest network of fire stations and fire apparatus in Missouri. Additional fire stations were created in the mid 70’s in the Prathersville area at what was then Cottonwoods Airport (now the Boone County Fair Grounds) and in Sturgeon through a cooperative arrangement with the Sturgeon Fire Department. In the late 1970s, additional fire station locations were established in the Rock Bridge and Midway areas. Steve Paulsell was appointed as the organization’s first full-time fire chief in 1977. Paulsell joined the organization as a volunteer in 1970 and became the District’s first employee in 1972. Paulsell continued to serve as fire chief until December of 2008.

In 1977, the Boone County Fire District initiated its Emergency Medical Services First Responder Program. This was one of the first programs of its kind in the country. Also in 1977, the Columbia/Boone County Joint Communications Center went online, which combined the dispatching functions of all the emergency services in Boone County and which continues to operate to this day. This system provides a more economically efficient system and, simultaneously, provides better coordination of all emergency services in Boone County.

In 1978, the Boone County Fire Protection District was instrumental in working with Boone County government to adopt and implement building and fire safety codes in Boone County. Prior to this time, there were no building standards in effect outside the city limits of Columbia and the results of inferior construction were noticeably evident. Today, the benefits of the code enforcement program are, likewise, as evident. In April 1981, the Boone County Fire Protection District put before the voters its first capital improvements bond issue. This $1.5 million issue was overwhelmingly approved by the voters of the Fire Protection District and provided for the construction of a new fire station in the Prathersville area and in the Rock Bridge area south of Columbia to replace those already in service. In addition, eleven additional pieces of fire apparatus were purchased.

In 1991, another capital improvements bond issue was proposed to the voters and, like the one in 1981, was approved. Additionally, during this same election, an increase in the general revenue fund was authorized by the voters, which allowed the organization to hire additional support personnel and enhance many of the support programs. As a result of the capital improvements project, an additional twelve pieces of fire equipment were purchased, new stations were established on Route E northwest of Columbia, on Route WW east of Columbia and new stations were constructed in Sturgeon and Centralia. Additions were also made to the fire stations in Harrisburg and Rocheport. In 1996, following a significant enhancement to the Fire District’s public fire and life safety education program, the Fire District was recognized by the International Association of Fire Chiefs for its development and implementation of the District’s Survival Kids program. This life safety program, taught in all fourth grade classrooms in the Fire District by Boone County volunteer firefighters, was awarded the IAFC’s Excellence Award in international competition. This program has been shared with many other fire departments and, in addition to being taught in countless departments in our country, is also being taught in the United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, Japan and South Africa. In 1998, the voters of the Fire District again overwhelmingly authorized a capital improvements project, which purchased 16 pieces of fire apparatus and established new stations locations southwest of Columbia, in the Dripping Springs area north of Columbia and the Deer Park area south of Columbia. Facilities were replaced in Midway, Harrisburg and Hallsville, with additions to existing facilities being constructed at Route WW, Rocheport, Prathersville, and Rock Bridge.

In May 2009 the Boone County Fire Protection District and the Columbia Fire Department updated the territorial agreement which both agencies have operated under for the past 15 years. The previous agreement tasked the Fire District with emergency response to all areas annexed by the City of Columbia that the city was unable to provide service to and provided for annual compensation based on call volume. In 2008 the Fire District responded to over 400 calls within the City limits, totaling $672,000 in compensation. Under the revised agreement, areas that have been annexed by the City of Columbia will receive responses from both City and Fire District units, with overall command of the incident depending on who has jurisdiction. Compensation for the fire district has been set at $350,000 annually, with the amount to increase if more areas are annexed in the future. Both agencies have also entered into an increased level of cooperative training, with joint sessions occurring at both the City training academy and the Fire District training center.

Operational Ranks/Helmet Markings
Upon being accepted to the BCFPD recruit class, the recruit firefighter is given a full set of protective gear (bunker coat and pants, Bullard Fire Dome helmet, Nomex hood, bunker boots); for the duration of the class the recruits helmet is orange, except for recruits who enter the class as EMT Basics or Paramedics to serve strictly as medical personnel, who are given blue colored helmets. When a recruit graduates he/she is given a green reflective stripe to place on the top of the helmet to signify the ability to enter structure fires. After obtaining Firefighter I and II certification and demonstrating knowledge of the first-due apparatus and his/her assigned station, the firefighter is given a red helmet with a leather front piece showing the assigned station; orange helmets are collected to be given to new recruits. A reflective Star of Life is given to the firefighter after EMT-B certification is achieved.

Fire apparatus and stations
The Boone County Fire Protection District operates in excess of 110 emergency vehicles, and, as such ranks third in Missouri in fleet size behind St. Louis and Kansas City.

Engine companies


The Fire District operates fifteen front-line engines, all of which comply with National Fire Protection Association standards for structural firefighting apparatus. All engine companies are equipped with fire pumps that are rated at 1,500 GPM or above and carry 750 gallons of water. On-board Class A foam capability is standard on most engines. All engine companies carry a full complement of BLS emergency medical equipment, Q-Rae four-gas meters, and thermal imaging cameras as well.

Tanker companies
The Fire District operates eight 2001 Pierce tankers. These units carry 1,500 gallons of water and are set up to handle salvage and overhaul operations as well as supply water during structure fires.

Heavy rescue squads
The Boone County Fire Protection District operates two heavy rescue squads. One is located at Station 1 in the Columbia area near Lake of the Woods and the other is located at Station 6 in Sturgeon. These units carry a full complement of heavy rescue equipment and meet the NFPA requirements for heavy rescue squads. They are equipped to provide automobile extrication, high angle rescue, trench rescue, ice rescue, swift water rescue, cave rescue, and confined space rescue.

Grass rigs
‎ Each grass rig is designed and operated with two primary missions in mind. The first is for wildland fire response. As such they carry 300 gallons of water with Class A foam capability and a wide assortment of fireline tools. Their second use is as primary medical response unit for the stations that have them. Basic life support equipment carried includes: medical bag and AED, KED, OB kit, spinal immobilization kit and long spine board/Stokes basket. Eight of these units are deployed around the county.

Rescue boats
The Fire District operates four boats of various sizes and configurations for rescue and recovery operations on the Missouri River and in small streams and static bodies of water throughout Boone County.

Fire stations
The Boone County Fire District maintains 14 fire stations, a training center, and a district headquarters. All Fire District stations are constructed in a modular fashion so as to facilitate additions in future years and minimizing expenses. All Boone County Fire District stations are also equipped with living quarters where volunteer firefighters actually reside. Many volunteer firefighters are students or otherwise single men and women who, in exchange for their services as fire apparatus operators, live in the fire stations at no charge. This facilitates a rapid response of equipment without the expense of paying full time people to staff the facilities.

The training center, located at Prathersville and Highway 63, consists of a four story burn tower with pitched roof ventilation prop, a vehicle extrication area, and the Missouri Task Force 1 rubble pile.

The Fire District Headquarters (valued at $3 million) was purchased for $1.8 million. Rental income offsets 75% of the building's operating expenses.

Innovation
The Fire District is known nationally for its many innovations. Among these are its volunteer firefighter recruitment, retention and residency program; Missouri state certified contextually formatted training; and public safety education, which received the 1996 International Association of Fire Chiefs Championship Award for Excellence for its Survival Kids Program.

Fire District Command Staff are actively involved in far reaching national and international emergency service programs, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Fire Academy, National Association for Search & Rescue and the International Fire Service Training Association. Several serve on FEMA disaster management teams. Over the years, 14 Fire District members have become Fire Chiefs in other communities.

FEMA US&R team
In 1995, the Boone County Fire Protection District set out to receive a federal designation as a Federal Urban Search and Rescue Task Force. In the late 1990’s this was accomplished and Missouri Task Force 1 was formed, significantly expanding the rescue capabilities of the organization locally, statewide and nationally. MOTF-1 is designated by FEMA as one of only 28 Federal Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces in the nation. As a federal resource, Missouri Task Force 1 is on call for federal disaster response and, upon activation, must be headed to their destination within six hours with 70 personnel, four search canines and 100,000 lb. of equipment. Missouri Task Force 1 was deployed to the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, twice to Hurricane Katrina during 2005, the Clinton, Missouri building collapse on June 28, 2006, Hurricane Ike on September 11, 2008, and most recently the Joplin, Missouri EF 5 Tornado in May 2011.

Links

 * Boone County Fire Protection District Pipes and Drums
 * Public Service Joint Communications for Boone County, Mo
 * City of Columbia/Boone County Fire District Fire Service Agreement Map
 * FEMA
 * Columbia Fire Department
 * Boone County Fire Protection District
 * Public Service Joint Communications
 * University of Missouri Health Care
 * Boone Hospital Center