Support Facilities
Headquarters Facility
In 2000, the Boone County Fire Protection District moved its Headquarters Facility from a rather meager facility that had been used for 14 years to a new facility located at 2201 I-70 Drive Northwest in Columbia. Many may know this as the old State Farm Claims Building at the northwest corner of I-70 and Stadium Blvd. The building had been for sale for several years and the asking price had been approximately $3 million. Following lengthy negotiations with State Farm, the Fire District obtained the property for $1.8 million. Conversion costs were approximately 1.5 million dollars. These improvements were made using reserve funds that had been established many years ago for this purpose. As a result of the Fire District’s involvement with the federal government through its Federal Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, additional federal funds were obtained for the conversion of the area of the building used to house and operate the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force (Missouri Task Force 1). Additionally, funds were authorized by the voters of the Fire Protection District in a 1998 bond issue to build a new maintenance facility. These funds were applied to the project for building conversion, thus maximizing those funds.
Additionally, the facility presently has three businesses renting space from the Fire District. The rental income from these lease agreements more than covers the operating expenses of the entire facility.
This facility has ample growth space within to accommodate the needs of the Fire District for many years to come. Particularly in light of the income stream that exists, the economics of this acquisition is something that the organization takes a great deal of pride in and has been acknowledged by many in the community as an incredible investment for the taxpayers of the Boone County Fire District.
Housed within the facility are the Fire District Administration, Maintenance, Training, Public Education and the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force. Additionally, the facility was designed to operate as an emergency operating center during disaster operations (floods, tornado, ice storm, etc.) in Boone County. The facility contains communications and support facilities for disaster operations and is equipped with an emergency generator capable of powering the entire facility during power outages.
The Fire Headquarters building opened in 2000, the 30th anniversary of the Fire District.
Located in front of the facility, the Fire District has created Volunteer Plaza. This area is designed to serve as a focus to the incredible contribution Boone County’s volunteer firefighters and rescue specialists have made to our community over the years. Presently, a community campaign is underway to place a bronze sculpture in the center of the plaza recognizing these volunteers. (LINK to perseverance endowment)

Training Facility

The Boone County Fire District is presently developing a 40-acre tract of ground located north of Columbia in the Prathersville area into a training facility for the Boone County Fire Protection District and Missouri Task Force 1. Through a cooperative agreement with the Boone County Commission, the Fire District will be developing this ground immediately north of the National Guard Armory on the west side of US Hwy 63. A five story “burn facility” will be constructed in the summer of 2001 with a classroom facility to be constructed at a later date. Additionally, the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force will develop several training props on the site that will simulate collapses of heavy steel and reinforced concrete construction. Long-term development plans for the 40 acres include a hazardous materials training area, an emergency driving course, additional technical rescue props, rural water supply training areas and various fire suppression tactical simulators.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department, FBI, Missouri National Guard, Missouri Fire and Rescue Institute at UMC, other Federal Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces and other local fire departments will also use this complex, through cooperative agreements.


Columbia/Boone County Joint Communications Center
In 1977, the emergency services in Boone County combined their individual dispatching services into one operation known as the Columbia/Boone County Joint Communications Center. Located in the police station in downtown Columbia, the center services the following organizations: Boone County Fire Protection District, Boone County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Police Department, Columbia Fire Department, Boone Hospital Center Ambulance, University Missouri Hospital Ambulance and Southern Boone County Fire Protection District.
An advisory committee consisting of representatives of the user agencies manages the operation. It is funded on a percentage of use basis by the various subscribing organizations.
This center provides the primary dispatching for all the aforementioned agencies and maintains the technical hardware necessary to provide this service. Additionally, the system is driven by a computer aided dispatch program and supported by an enhanced 9-1-1 telephone system which is funded, in part, by a tax on local telephone bills.
 

®2010 Boone County Fire Protection District, Columbia, Missouri