Columbus Fire Rescue is located in the Columbus City Hall Building at 300 East Maple, Columbus Kansas. The Fire Department Consists of 24 Members: 4 Full Time Drivers and 20 Paid per call Volunteers.

The Columbus Fire Department is led by Fire Brad Gleason who has been serving with the Columbus Fire Department since 1988. Assistance Chief Steve Burton Sr. has been with the Fire Department for close to 12 years. The City’s Full time Lead Driver, is Steven Burton, who also serves as a Captain / EMT and has been with the Fire Department since 2004. Captain / EMT Jason Allison, has been with the Fire Department since 1992. We have 2 Lieutenants, Jeff Woods, and Rick Martin, who have been on 12 years, and our appointed Safety Officer is Rod Long. We currently have 7 members who are both Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 Certified. We have 4 Emergency Medical Technicians, and 7 members trained to the Hazardous Material Operations Level. Several of our firefighters are also trained to the Vehicle Extrication Technician Level.

Our Last ISO Rating for Our Fire Department was a 4. This ISO, or Insurance Services Organization rating is used by insurance companies to determine fire insurance rates for industry, business, and residential polices. ISO collects information on municipal fire protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. In each of those communities, ISO analyzes the relevant data using the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). They then assign a public protection classification from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents exemplary public protection, and class 10 indicates that the area’s fire suppression program doesn’t meet ISO’s minimum criteria. Our departments rating of 4, is the lowest rating among the departments in Cherokee County.

Our Fire Apparatus or Fleet includes three 1500 gallon per minute (GPM) Pumpers, one 750 GPM – 1800 gallon pumper / tanker ; one 3000 gallon tanker ; 3 brush/ grass trucks ; 3 primary rescue units, and 2 water rescue boats. We run 2 sets of Jaws Extrication tools, and one mobile Air truck.

Our Rescue Truck carries all the tools needed to perform most types of rescues. It is equipped with Hydraulic Cutters, Spreaders, and extension bars, Also Known as the Jaws of Life. We have an air bag kit, which is capable of lifting a car up off of a victim or other vehicle.  We have a medical bag, backboards, and basic life support equipment including an Automated External Defibrillator, (AED).

Our Department is responsible for fire protection for the City of Columbus as well as townships of Crawford, Lola, Lyons, Mineral, Salamanca, and Sheridan. We are often automatically dispatched to mutual aid to Cherokee township as well. Our territory consists of approximately 260 square miles of protection. We average 350 calls per year which include but are not limited to, Structure fires, car fires, car accidents, water rescue calls, grass fires, fire alarms, and medical calls. We also maintain mutual aid agreements with 10 area fire departments to give or receive aid in the event of a major accident.

We are especially proud of our annual fire prevention efforts with the local school and day care centers. Steven Burton is our Fire Prevention Coordinator and organizes the Fire Prevention trailer each year. It covers approximately 800 kids each year at daycare centers, schools, and even Churches. The funding to keep this program going each year comes from local business donations. The department acquired this trailer in 2005 by applying for a homeland security grant. The Trailer is equipped with audio video equipment, bedroom area, kitchen, and a smoke machine which is capable of assisting in simulating a house fire. We then teach them to stay low under the smoke, crawl out of the bedroom and through the house to the exit. The Kitchen is used to teach household fire safety, and the living room seats all the kids during fire prevention videos.