Jefferson City Fire Chief Matt Schofield and his staff now have the legal framework in place to respond to emergencies on Rising Creek Bridge on Liberty Road.
The arrangement comes via the Automatic Aid Agreement passed by the Jefferson City Council this week, confirming the commitment of the Jefferson City Fire Department to assist the Osage Fire Protection District in the Taos area. The Osage district board is expected to agree to the resolution later this week as it prepares for removal of the old bridge Monday.
The Jefferson City fire chief described the Automatic Aid Agreement as "an excellent example of good government in which one jurisdiction anticipates the need to help another at some point in time."
Schofield presented the proposal to the Jefferson City Council after vetting it with the council's Public Safety Committee. The Automatic Aid Agreement passed the council by a unanimous vote.
After the Osage district concurs with the Jefferson City Council's resolution, JCFD will respond to fire and other emergencies from its Fire Station No. 2 at 2400 E. McCarty St. That station is staffed by three professionals 24/7, offering a combination fire and ambulance rescue response team, Schofield said.
The Liberty Road area for which the JCFD now will share coverage includes about 20 structures, the chief said. That number includes a day care facility, light industrial, farming and commercial buildings.
Osage Fire Protection District Chief Butch Braun and his volunteers fulfill emergency responsibilities within just a few miles of JCFD's Station No. 2.
Schofield said the new arrangement is a clone of the legal commitment in place between Jefferson City and Holts Summit during the recent closure and reconstruction of the Missouri River Bridge, in which one department could have reached an emergency much faster than the other because of the blockages.