The Boone County Sheriff’s Department and the Columbia Fire Department have withdrawn from the Mid-Missouri Bomb Squad.
The bomb squad will now only involve the Columbia Police Department and MU Police Department after a recent restructuring agreement was signed by the Columbia City Council.
Initially formed in July 2008, the bomb squad was created to be a multi-agency effort between the Sheriff’s Department, the Fire Department, the Police Department and MU police.
The bomb squad’s goal is to reduce equipment and resource costs while providing a rapid response to incendiary or explosive threats in all of mid-Missouri.
Recently, the bomb squad reorganized its provided resources and responsibilities between the police departments. The City Council approved the reorganization of the squad in November, after the fire and sheriff’s departments stopped participating at the end of 2024.
Skyler Clark, a spokesperson for the Fire Department, said the department believes the bomb squad is more aligned with law enforcement priorities.
“While we do support and recognize (the Mid-Missouri Bomb Squad), with our growing call volume and the amount of calls we do respond to on a daily basis, and not to mention the amount of training that it takes to keep members certified as bomb technicians, it just doesn’t align with our current mission or bandwidth,” Clark said.
Clark also clarified that all of the Fire Department’s bomb squad materials and equipment are now in the possession of Columbia police.
The Sheriff’s Department did not have an official statement at the time.
The restructured bomb squad will be a part-time assignment involving officers from multiple divisions, Assistant Police Chief Lance Bolinger said in an email.
The squad will consist of certified bomb technicians provided by both departments, with the Police Department providing at least two officers and MU police providing at least one.
Each department will also provide an explosive detection canine to assist the bomb squad on operations.
