In a split decision last night, the board of directors for the Boone County Fire Protection District voted to end its sponsorship of an FBI-certified bomb squad, temporarily leaving Mid-Missouri without an agency to oversee such a squad.

After discussing the possibility of hiring a new staff member who would meet FBI qualifications for a bomb squad commander, board members John Gordon, Shelly Dometrorch and Phyllis Fugit voted to give up sponsorship of the bomb squad. David Griggs and John Sam Williamson voted against the motion.

The FBI suspended the district’s certification in April because the district no longer met the requirement of having at least two technicians certified by the National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board.

The district has a memorandum of understanding with the University of Missouri Police Department to allow Sgt. Chris Groves on the bomb squad, but board members said the bomb squad commander must be a full-time employee of the sponsoring agency. Ken Hines, a former assistant chief for the fire district’s life safety bureau, had been certified as a bomb technician, but he retired in July.

Fire Chief Steve Paulsell last night outlined what it would cost to hire a full-time staff member to give assistance to the district’s life safety bureau and fill the role of bomb-squad commander. The job would have a $55,000 salary and, with benefits, would cost the district $73,636 a year.

Board members said an ever-tightening budget and ongoing negotiations with the cities of Columbia and Centralia leave the district’s financial future unclear. Gordon said today his priority was keeping the staff employed. He also said that, with the district’s economic status, it might not be the best time to add permanent full-time staff.

"I don’t want to affect other full-time staff people" by hiring new staff, "that’s my real concern," Gordon said. "My estimation says we can’t do it, and we need to move ahead not only for our organization, ... but for the sake of the community. Other people are literally standing by, waiting for our decision. ... Now is the time to move ahead."

Griggs said today ending the sponsorship of the bomb squad was a sound financial decision but he wished the motion had included language to encourage district employees and volunteers to become involved in the bomb squad the FBI will organize to succeed the fire district’s squad.

Board members agreed last night it would be more logical for a law enforcement agency to sponsor the bomb squad.

Gordon said today about 90 percent of bomb squads in Missouri are led by law enforcement agencies because law enforcement certification is a requirement for the commander of the squad.

Dometrorch said last night a majority of the calls concerning bomb threats go first to law enforcement and police decide whether the bomb squad should be called.

In the event of a bomb threat in Mid-Missouri, the Columbia Fire Department has an active, non-FBI certified Hazardous Device Team, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol sponsors an FBI-certified bomb squad.

The fire district has obtained much equipment from the FBI for the bomb squad, including critical supplies such as blasting caps and X-ray equipment, Gordon said. These materials have been returned to the FBI, he said.

Through a FEMA grant, the district also purchased an ambulance-like vehicle, which is a fire district apparatus for the time being.

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