Safety Tips

The Columbia Fire Department reminds everyone that a permit to burn is required for the kindling or maintaining of an open fire or a fire on any public street, alley, road or other public or private ground. Recreational fires such as those used for cooking Read More »

Download our latest “After the fire checklist” booklet in English and Spanish. Tips for what to do after you have become the victim of a fire: Before Entering the Residence… Check with fire officials to make sure it is safe for you to enter the Read More »

Every day, millions of people wake up, go to work or school, and take part in social events. But every so often the unexpected happens: an earthquake, a fire, a chemical spill, an act of terrorism or some other disaster. Routines change drastically, and people Read More »

Why should I wear a helmet? City Ordinances require bicyclists, skateboarders, and other human powered cycle riders fifteen years of age or younger to wear a U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission approved bicycle helmet while riding inside the city limits. View the Helmet Ordinance. What Read More »

Where Children Drown? Each year, approximately 1,500 children under the age of 20 drown. A new national study published in the July issue of Pediatrics is the first to examine where drownings most commonly take place. The study concludes that infants are most likely to Read More »

What to do in the event of a suspected poisoning? If you suspect that your child may have ingested a poison, call for emergency medical assistance immediately. In most communities, including Columbia and all of Boone County, dial 9-1-1. If your community does not have Read More »

The winter months are on the way. As the mercury begins to dip, some families, struggling to pay their heating bills, will turn on the kitchen stove burners and the oven in an effort to take the chill off of their home. What these families Read More »

It’s a cold winter night. You decide to use a space heater, or perhaps light a fire in the fireplace, to save on the heating bill. Comfortable from its warmth as bedtime approaches you think, “What harm could it cause to leave it on overnight?” Read More »

Consumers are urged not to use turkey fryers when preparing holiday meals because of the dangers frequently associated with the devices. Tests have shown that the fryers have a high risk of tipping over, overheating, or spilling hot oil, leading to fires, burns, or other Read More »