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PrintThe Boone County Fire Protection District and the Columbia Fire Department each sent one additional engine company on Wednesday to Springfield to support the Mid-Missouri Incident Management Team, which had assisted in the area since Sunday in the aftermath of the weekend ice storms.
The initial team, which includes four members of the Fire Protection District, two Columbia Fire Department division chiefs and three members of the Jefferson City Fire Department, was sent following a statewide mutual aid request from Springfield.
The mutual aid system was developed in 1991 to support local governments during major disasters, said Fire District Chief Steve Paulsell.
The group’s primary task is to provide fire protection, emergency medical services and police support. However, the crews have also set up seven shelters to house 1,100 people and are clearing debris, providing food, water and transportation and working to restore power, said Gale Blomenkamp, fire district public information officer.
Also, 18 employees from MU Campus Facilities left for Lebanon on Wednesday morning in response to a request for help from the State Emergency Management Agency. The workers will help with snow and ice removal there.
MU also sent two dump trucks, a couple of Bobcats, two trailers, along with trucks and chain saws to the south-central Missouri city.
The crews expect to remain in Lebanon through the end of the week and possibly into the weekend.
“We’re very pleased that we were able to provide some assistance in the wake of this storm,” Gary Ward, assistant vice chancellor for campus facilities, said in a news release. “While we had our own difficulties here on campus, we’re glad we were able to help others who have been affected by this same storm system.”
MU might send more workers later if needed, Ward said in the release.
The weekend’s storm knocked out power to more than 300,000 people in Missouri. About 121,000 people throughout the state still had no power as of Wednesday night.
The Springfield and St. Louis areas were the hardest hit, but SEMA public information officer Amanda Johnson said the state wouldn’t begin making preliminary damage estimates until next week.
Luke Thompson contributed to this report.
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