Work remains after Boone County firefighter’s death, assistant chief says
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Nearly two years after the line-of-duty death of Boone County Fire Protection Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Tobben, the two fire agencies involved in the response say they're working to implement recommendations from a follow-up report.
Tobben, 42, died during a swift-water rescue on July 8, 2024, when his boat lost power and capsized near Bear Creek. Columbia firefighter Derek Abbott and the two people rescued were thrown into the water, but Tobben never resurfaced. An autopsy report showed Tobben drowned.
Columbia Fire initially responded to the call, with a team trying to launch a boat upstream, but the high currents were too powerful for the 30-horsepower boat engine. CFD then called Boone County for help.
A report by the Boone County Fire Protection District recommends that Columbia Fire and BCFPD conduct joint swift water rescue training and standardize procedures.
The report emphasizes that effective mutual aid requires shared expectations, terminology and safety practices. In addition to joint training, pre-incident coordination and clear communications are critical to safe and effective mutual aid operations, according to the report.
BCFPD Assistant Fire Chief Gale Blomenkamp said Tobben's death hit both organizations hard. He says the event was a reminder that both agencies need to be working together to better serve the community.
"This is a time as soon as that event occurred, it was the time for the two organizations to become closer, not further apart," Blomenkamp said. "I worry that we haven't gotten there yet. I worry that the two agencies, Columbia Fire and Boone County Fire, are not as close as we should be. Because we should be able to lean on each other, especially in times like that,"
While discussions about joint training began early, collaboration is slow. Blomenkamp hopes upcoming meetings between CFD Chief Brian Schaeffer and new BCFPD Chief Doug Westoff will get the two agencies working together.
"I think it's going to take some understanding on everybody's part. It's hard sometimes to swallow pride and say, 'Yeah, we can do things better, we know that we can.'" Blomenkamp said. "There's no doubt about that. We can do things better, and we should do better. Again, this is an event that I don't think there's blame to be laid anywhere,"
An internal CFD review was released on June 25, 2025. The review calls for more powerful boats and more frequent training.
The report also calls for joint training programs with mutual aid partners and agencies that will operate together.
"The fire district's very good at what we do. We don't do it the same," Blomenkmap said. "When it comes to working together, we have to train together so we can understand that, and we can do those high-risk things the same, and we can do them safely and effectively. Our community does that. I think they should demand the two agencies working together."
Schaeffer said in a statement that CFD has implemented most of the reports recommendations, and the remaining items are equipment-related.
"We remain committed to continuous improvement and to strengthening our working relationships with the diverse agencies we support across the region," Schaeffer wrote.
Watch ABC 17 News at 10 on Wednesday for a special report on the lessons learned from Tobben's death.
