Columbia’s new fire chief says his job starts and ends with people. Chief Brian Schaeffer started on August 19, and he briefed reporters on Monday about his vision and priorities:
“That has been my focus the first couple (of) weeks has just been establishing relationships, learning processes, learning the culture,” Chief Schaeffer says.
Columbia city manager De’Carlon Seewood appointed Chief Schaeffer to the post, saying he’s demonstrated his ability to be forward-thinking about priorities and the level of service that CFD continually strives to achieve. Chief Schaeffer says relationships are critical:
“It’s really important for me to be out and meet our customers, meet our partners like the Sheriff’s office, our 911 center. A lot of the nonprofits in Columbia,” says Schaeffer.
Mr. Schaeffer has spent the last 20 years working in Spokane Washington. The other three finalists for the fire chief position were local candidates: Columbia deputy fire chief and Hickman graduate John Ambra, MU Health Care clinical manager Chuck Doss and Columbia assistant fire chief and Rock Bridge graduate Jeffrey Heidenreich. Chief Schaeffer tells reporters that deputy chief Ambra and assistant chief Heidenreich have been great, saying they’re all working as a team.
Chief Schaeffer tells reporters that it’s like coming home:
“It’s a community that I’ve always looked up to. Every year we came here twice a year for fire school. And I’ve developed a number of relationships, and a lot of those relationships are still here,” says Schaeffer.
Chief Schaeffer was sworn-in on August 19, during that night’s Columbia city council meeting.
