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Columbia fire chief outlines 2025 surge in calls, proposes three‑phase Border Road station plan and new ladder truck
Summary
Chief Jenkins told the Columbia City Public Safety Committee that the fire department logged roughly 40,000 calls in 2025 (a 4.1% increase), maintained a Class 1 ISO rating and is proposing a three‑phase plan to add a ladder company and two new/relocated stations to close coverage gaps in the Border/Broad River corridor.
Columbia City Fire Chief Jenkins told the Public Safety Committee on Feb. 17 that the department responded to roughly 40,000 calls in 2025, up from about 38,000 in 2024 — a rise the chief described as a 4.1% increase — and said the department continues to hold a Class 1 ISO rating.
“we ran about 40 little over 40,000 calls,” Chief Jenkins said, adding that the increase included more structure fires and a property‑loss estimate the department put at "more than 18 million" with about $6 million in contents loss. He said Station 1 remained the top‑responding unit for the city.
Why it matters: Department leaders said response volumes and changing city development patterns are stressing current station locations and response standards. Presenters warned that failing to meet ISO response benchmarks — notably…
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