Michael Arnhart named interim Columbia fire chief

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Michael Arnhart will be the interim chief of the Columbia Fire Department on April 1, according to a Wednesday press release from the City of Columbia.

Arnhart will serve as the interim chief as the city looks to fill the position after Chief Clayton Farr Jr. retires. The release states that Arnhart has been with CFD as its chief training officer since July 2021.

"I am excited to step into this role to allow continuity for employees of the Fire Department and for the future of the Department as our next chief comes on board," Arnhart said in the release. 

According to the release, Arnhart previously served as the chief of the Antonia Fire Protection District in Barnhart, Missouri. He was also the chief – and worked other roles – at the High Ridge Fire Protection District, the release says. He was also an instructor at the University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Institute and the St. Louis County Fire Academy, according to the release.

The release says Arnhart has a bachelor of arts degree in fire administration and safety from Western Illinois University and an associate’s degree from Jefferson College. He also has a Vocational Technical Certificate in Fire Science Technology from Jefferson College and completed the Fire Officer Development Certificate Program at the University of Missouri, the release says.