(COLUMBIA, MO) ~ On Sunday, July 5th at 9:25 a.m., the Columbia Fire Department (CFD) was alerted to an automatic fire alarm at Stephens College in Columbia, MO. The alarm was triggered at an unoccupied dormitory located on Melbourne Street.

Within two minutes of receiving the dispatch, the first fire company arrived on the scene and was met by Stephens security staff. The staff provided crucial information and directed the firefighters to the source of smoke on the second floor of the five-story dormitory building. Based on this information, the incident was upgraded to a commercial structure fire and additional resources were called in.

The CFD firefighters quickly sprang into action, initiating multiple coordinated operations. Some crew members advanced hoselines to the reported fire floor while others searched for occupants on floors above and below, checked for any fire extension, and assessed building conditions.

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Despite working in a smoke-filled environment, firefighters utilized thermal imaging cameras to swiftly locate the source of the fire inside a dormitory room. Upon arrival, they found flames visible from an air-handling unit. The fire was promptly extinguished and contained to its area of origin.

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from this incident. In response to this event, Stephens security staff have implemented regular checks of these units in the vacant dormitory while repairs are being completed.

A total of 25 personnel from CFD responded to this incident. Although the fire was limited in size, it required a full response from a professionally staffed and equipped fire department. Fires in multi-story buildings demand simultaneous actions such as life safety measures, fire attack strategies, search efforts for occupants, ventilation techniques, and control of safety systems within the building.

The ability to perform these critical tasks simultaneously is what sets apart a well-trained and equipped fire department like CFD. With specialized equipment such as thermal imaging cameras and operating within the Incident Command System, firefighters were able to quickly locate hidden fires, protect occupants, prevent fire spread, and safely bring the incident under control.

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