Columbia hosts public meeting Thursday with four finalist fire chiefs

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Community members will have the opportunity to attend a meet and greet with the four finalists for Columbia's next fire chief.

People can stop by anytime between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to speak with each candidate Thursday at City Hall in Conference Rooms 1A and 1B. The city is looking for a new fire chief after former Fire Chief Clayton Farr announced his retirement in March.

Its final four candidates are Deputy Fire Chief John Ambra, Deputy Fire Chief Jeffrey Heidenreich, MU Health Care Clinical Director Chuck Doss and Spokane, Wash., Deputy Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer.

John Ambra has been with the Columbia Fire Department since 2004. He has served as a firefighter, fire engineer, fire lieutenant, fire captain, fire battalion chief and deputy fire chief. He previously worked at the International Brother of Electrical Workers as a journeyman electrician from 2001 to 2004 and at South Kansas City Electric as an apprentice electrician from 1998 to 2001, according to the release.

Heidenreich has been with the Columbia Fire Department since 2008, the release states. He has served as a firefighter, engineer, lieutenant, captain, Commission on Fire Accreditation international accreditation officer and deputy fire chief, the release states. Heidenreich earned a master's degree in business administration from Columbia College. The release said Heidenreich holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Missouri and was a graduate of Rock Bridge High School.

Doss has served as clinical lead for prehospital services at MU Health Care since 2021, according to the release. He has been a member of Missouri Task Force 1 since 2000 and has worked with the Boone County Fire Protection District as a Battalion Chief and Assistant Fire Chief. He also worked at Boone Hospital Center as an EMT, City of Olathe Fire Department as a Firefighter and Paramedic, Boone Hospital Center as an EMT, Paramedic and Emergency Coordinator. transportation, to the Boone County Fire Protection District as a firefighter and lieutenant, and the Battlefield Fire Protection District as a volunteer firefighter.

Doss holds a master's degree in organizational leadership from Waldorf University, a bachelor's degree in fire science – fire administration from Columbia Southern University, an associate degree in fire science from Kansas City Kansas Community College, the release said. He also graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield.

Schaeffer has served as deputy fire chief and fire chief for the Spokane Fire Department since 2005, the release said. He previously served as deputy fire chief for the Yakima Fire Department in Yakima, Wash., and deputy fire chief for Yakima Fire District 12, according to the release.

According to the release, Schaeffer holds a master's degree in leadership from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, a master's degree in public administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a bachelor of science degree in fire science from Sterling College in Kansas City. Missouri. He also graduated from Freeburg High School in Freeburg, Illinois.