JCFD to help with some Cole County emergency calls during bridge closure

The Jefferson City Fire Department is taking steps to keep some residents outside city limits safe with the closure of a Cole County bridge.

ABC 17 News reported, crews shut down the 90-year-old Liberty Road Bridge just off Highway 50 this week.

Residents west of the bridge are protected by the Osage Fire Protection District.

The department’s closest fire station to the bridge is in Taos. With the closure, the department would have to travel about double the distance to get to the far side of the bridge according to Google Maps.

That is why JCFD will automatically respond to calls west of the bridge while it is under construction.

“It would be a delayed response for the fire district responding west having to come all the way around,” Division Chief Jason Turner with JCFD said. “And again, that’s why we’re being good neighbors and providing the assistance that they need.”

A stronger two-lane bridge is set to open in the old bridge’s place next spring.

“It’s scheduled for 90 days, but you know if it runs longer than that you know it’s obviously–we’re here to provide a service to assist them,” Turner said.

JCFD took advantage of a similar agreement earlier this year with Holts Summit Fire Protection District for the closure of the Westbound Missouri River Bridge.

Now, it is returning the favor for another department.

“We actually utilized Holts Summit at least half a dozen times responding,” Turner said. “And you know, we like to look at it as a partnership and a working relation that we want to continue to build. Much as though if they were to need us we would respond.

And much like Osage Fire would do if we had a problem.”

The agreement should not cost the city any money other than fuel and staff time, according to the terms of the city’s resolution.

JCFD will primarily respond to the calls out of Station 2 on West McCarty.