Country United States Cities Columbia Employees 140 (2015) | State Missouri Annual calls 10,466 (2013) Annual budget $17,182,916 (2015) | |
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The Columbia Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to Columbia, Missouri. It protects an area of 60.4 square miles (160 km2) and a population of approximately 100,000 from 9 stations strategically located around the city. The department is responsible for an area of 68 square miles (180 km2) with a population over 117,000.
History
The Columbia Fire Department got its start in 1825 when General Olden Guitar organized a volunteer fire department. Their equipment consisted of 12 buckets that were suspended from ladders on a wagon. Each member was required to have a ladder as well as two buckets of water prepared before going to bed each night. In 1893, the department began to transition to career members.
References
Columbia Fire Department Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA