Boone County Fire Protection chief to retire Feb. 1, interim chief named

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County Fire Protection District Chief Scott Olsen is retiring.

BCFPD announced in a Thursday press release that the last day of Olsen’s career will be Feb. 1, 2026. Olsen submitted his letter of resignation to the district on Wednesday.

Longtime BCFPD Assistant Chief Doug Westhoff will be named the interim chief as the search continues for a permanent replacement.

Olsen has served in the role of chief for the past 17 years, according to a biography sent to ABC 17 News. Olsen has 48 years of fire serve, EMS rescue and disaster response experience.

He started his career with BCFPD as a volunteer firefighter at Station 1 in 1985 and was promoted to lieutenant the next year. He became the support services bureau chief in 1990 and later became battalion chief and assistant chief in 2005, the bio says.

He is one of the original members of Missouri Task Force 1 and serves as the task force’s leader, program manager and sponsoring agency chief, the bio says. Olsen also serves as the planning section chief for the National US&R Response System Incident Support Team and was previously the team lead for SEMA’s Region F, according to the bio.

Olsen also served as the Chair of the Boone county local emergency planning committee for six years, the emergency management director to the Boone County Office of Emergency Management for four years, the chair of the School Emergency Preparedness Group and is currently Chairing the Boone County Public safety advisory committee’s active assailant policy subcommittee, according to the release. He also Chaired the FEMA US&R Search Information Standardization Working Group and currently Chairs the FEMA US&R sUAS Working Group, the bio says.

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