Month: February 2026

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A small tool now being used by the Columbia Fire Department could be the key to saving lives.

CFD began carrying EpiPens in January, a decision that had been about a year in the making. According to CFD Chief Brian Schaeffer, every fire apparatus is stocked with at least one EpiPen and is located within the emergency medical equipment.

The drug works to treat a severe allergic reaction, as known as anaphylaxis and has the ability to save a someone’s life.

“When we’re making that decision on what type of equipment to carry, what type of supplies to purchase, this is really a no-brainer for us. We haven’t had them before, so we’re moving forward,” Schaeffer said.

According to Schaeffer, CFD went through a period of training and worked with its medical doctor from MU Health Care before rolling them out. Schaeffer said all firefighters have been trained on how to use the EpiPens. They cost between $200-$300 each, depending on the brand, and last for about a year. Thirteen EpiPens were ordered, along with one spare.

When Fire Station 10 opens, one will be purchased for that station, according to EMS Battalion Chief Edward Kehrer. The EpiPens were paid for by money budgeted through the city.

Schaeffer said the fire department has been seeing a larger number of calls for children that are experiencing anaphylactic shock from accidentally eating a peanut they were allergic to, or another allergy of some sort.

Although they haven’t had to use the EpiPens since rolling them out, Schaeffer said it allows them to have the answer in case there is an emergency in any of Columbia’s neighborhoods.

“This is a situation where we’ve needed the tool and we haven’t had it. From our experience, we don’t want to be in a situation where we have to wait or we have to rely on a neighbor or somebody else’s dose to be able to access the life-saving medication,” Schaeffer said. “It certainly has the potential to reverse the consequences of anaphylaxis and save people’s lives. Everybody from a child all the way up to the end of life.”

ABC 17 News reached out to MU Health Care and Boone Health, who are both in support of the changes. MU Health Care spokesman Eric Maze wrote via email that the hospital believes it will allow for rapid administration, a sentiment echoed by Boone Health spokesman Christian Basi.

“It’s yet one more way that the first responders here in Columbia team together to do our best and protect the health of our community. The Boone Health team is very appreciative of the collaboration we have with other first responders in mid-Missouri,” Basi wrote in a Monday statement.

CFD is also utilizing other approaches to provide more advanced life support. It requested $133,500 from the city to start a paramedic pilot program. The funding was approved by the Columbia City Council during its Jan. 5 meeting, according to the city’s agenda.

According to a council memo, the funding was requested to buy two cardiac monitors, all needed advanced life support supplies needed for two fire companies, as well as EpiPens for all frontline apparatus.

The memo points to changing ambulance deployment rates and response of the two advanced life saving providers over the years. It states both providers face constant challenges, such as staffing problems and the increasing cost for service, all of which can lead to patients waiting longer to receive care.

According to Schaeffer, the pilot program will launch sometime in March. It will consist of at least one paramedic at Stations 2 and 5 each day. The program means that the fire department’s response to medical calls will look a lot different, and paramedics will carry medications that people would typically see in an emergency department.

Schaeffer said this will allow them to be able to treat people in their homes, on the street, or anywhere else they’re asked to respond to.

The paramedics will have a “dual role” of firefighter and paramedic, meaning they can potentially transition from fighting a fire, to providing care to someone in need. Schaeffer said 58% of CFD’s incidents are EMS related.

He also said paramedics will only serve a certain neighborhood or battalion, meaning they won’t be sent out of town on transfers. Schaeffer said they’ve budgeted roughly two years into their timeline to gather data for the program and determine if it’s something they want to roll out for the entire city.

Schaeffer also said as Columbia grows, the EMS system that the city has continues to have other responsibilities, such as providing care to surrounding cities, which can create challenges.

Schaeffer said their paramedics will work with paramedics that are on ambulances to ensure there isn’t a gap in care. He said that oftentimes CFD is the first one on scene, and instead of waiting for the paramedic to arrive, they can begin care and then transition it to the transporting paramedic.

“That’s what a good EMS system looks like and that’s where we’re hoping to get to, but we don’t know until we gather the data. So, we’re going to be running this pilot which is two companies and see how it goes,” Schaeffer said. “See if our organization can support it and if the outcomes that we expect are actually what are realized, if having paramedics truly helps people stay healthier, if they’re able to reverse consequences, severe injury or illness.”

According to Schaeffer, the city decided to roll the program out in fire stations two and five after using its AI-powered software, Darkhorse Emergency. He said the software has the capability to look at calls, frequencies, distribution and consequences and then model that into the future. He said they came up with scenarios with an overlay of critical calls that have occurred within the past five years; and out of that recommendation came Station 2 and 5.

“We expect to have the most experience in the quickest time at those two stations. That’ll give us data that we need to make further decisions as we move toward a decision,” Schaeffer said.

The long-term impact of funding for the program will depend on the two-year trial.

ABC 17 News asked the Boone County Fire Protection District if it’s considering carrying EpiPens. Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp said they’re in the process of figuring out where they would keep them and when they plan to deploy them.

“We’ve all been trained on the use of the EpiPen. We can use other people’s EpiPens if it’s prescribed to them, we can assist them in using it. But as far as carrying it, we’re still in that process working with our medical director to make that happen,” Blomenkamp said.

The Jefferson City Fire Department also does not currently carry EpiPens.

CFD ALS programDownload

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Mitchell Kaminski

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

After sitting vacant for years and surviving multiple failed redevelopment attempts, the former Moberly Junior High and High School is nearing a new chapter as Tannehill Apartments, a 40-unit affordable housing complex for residents 55 years old and older.

The $22.1 million project is a partnership between ND Consulting Group and the Northeast Community Action Corporation, combining the renovation of the historic school building with new construction on the site. Sixteen apartments were created inside the original school, while 24 new units were added to the rear of the property. It is expected to open by Feb. 15.

The project is part of a growing trend across the US of adaptive reuse projects that turn former public school buildings into living spaces. In 2024 alone, nearly 2,000 apartments were created from former schools. 

Ken Nuernberger, president of ND Consulting Group, said former schools often translate well into housing because of their layout.

“Schools are ideal because the classrooms run between 800-and-1,000 square feet, which is about the size of an apartment,” Nuernberger said, noting the abundance of windows allows for natural light in both living spaces and bedrooms. 

He added that the old Moberly Junior High School worked particularly well for conversion into 16 units inside the original structure. But preserving the building was far from simple.

Nuernberger said earlier redevelopment proposals stalled largely because of an addition on the back of the school that included a gymnasium on the upper floors. Renovating that portion of the building proved too costly and impractical, leading to repeated rejections from the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

“We decided that the best way to get this building on the front saved is to add an additional 24 units on three stories to the rear,” Nuernberger said. Those units were designed specifically for seniors and allowed the project to move forward financially.

Cost challenges plagued the site for years. Nuernberger said a previous developer attempted to use the lower level of the school, which resulted in expensive and unattractive units. Historic tax credit requirements also limited design flexibility, forcing the development team to repeatedly revise plans.

“In some cases, if you are going to use historic tax credits, some of the standards for the interior of the building would have made it less practical to use it,” Nuremberg said, “So in the end, the combination over time to continue modifying, adapting the plan to what you will see today as a renovated 16 units and a new construction of 24 units was really the challenge.” 

Construction broke ground just more than two years ago, though post-COVID-19 supply chain issues and rising costs slowed progress. Crews are now installing final finishes and preparing units for occupancy.

“It was a community project,” Nuernberger said, crediting support from the city, the historic society and downtown business leaders. “They also liked this project because instead of building a new senior project on the prairie outside of town, this is right in the core of the town.” 

Tom Sanders, Moberly’s Public Works director, said many residents and elected officials have personal ties to the 1930s-era Moberly school, which was attended by Gen. Omar Bradley. 

“A lot of residents, former council members and current council members had attended school here,” Sanders said, “So everybody has a story of what’s important to them.”

Sanders said the city had supported earlier redevelopment efforts for nearly 20 years, but repeated changes to the project model prevented it from gaining traction. ND Consulting became involved about six years ago, bringing a plan that finally aligned preservation goals with financial feasibility.

“The gym on the back was a big factor that it wasn’t going to be financially viable,” Sanders said. He said the city temporarily took ownership of the building and agreed to demolish the gym in 2018 in exchange for parking improvements for the nearby aquatic center.

The city spent $84,000 to remove the gym, a move that reduced redevelopment costs and strengthened the project’s tax credit application.

“It was a mutually beneficial thing,” Sanders said. “A lot of credit doesn’t go to the city for the efforts they make to save old buildings, but they have to be viable projects for it to happen.”

Sanders said the project also addresses a growing housing need in Moberly. A 2018 housing study showed the city needed roughly 400 additional units over a decade. While construction had historically averaged about 20 units per year, development surged recently, with 89 units added last year alone.

Tannehill Apartments includes one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 632-1,000+ square feet. Rents range from about $650 for one-bedroom units to $680 to $725 for two-bedroom units. All one-bedroom apartments have been rented, and most two-bedroom units are already occupied.

Apartments include furnished kitchen appliances, washer and dryer hookups, centralized mailboxes and secure key-card entry. Section 8 vouchers are accepted.

Funding for the project includes a $2.6 million home loan from the Missouri Housing Development Commission, along with federal and state low-income housing tax credits. Those credits generated roughly $10.5 million in equity, with investments from Midwest Housing Equity Group and Monarch Private Capital.

When renovations are complete, the 1930s-era school will reopen as Tannehill Apartments, preserving a landmark while meeting the city’s growing demand for affordable senior housing.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Starting July 1 this year, the City of Columbia is set to roll out its recently approved median ordinance.

The City of Springfield, Missouri, has had a similar median rule in place since 2018. Both ordinances focus on medians in intersections with speed limits of 35 miles per hour or higher, average daily traffic volumes of at least 15,000 vehicles, or medians narrower than six feet.

The City of Columbia’s ordinance also will:

Prohibit crossing a major road anywhere except in a crosswalk, a pedestrian-control signal, or an intersection if those things aren’t available.

Prohibit being on a median fewer than 6 feet wide except when crossing the road.

Prohibit getting out of cars while in a traffic lane or within a major intersection.

Prohibit approaching cars on a major road unless the car is legally parked.

Prohibit people in vehicles from engaging with pedestrians at major intersections.

According to Maj. Eric Reece with the Springfield Police Department, the rule has made a difference in the number of pedestrians at medians.

“Yes, our hazardous intersections definitely have less people in the area, hopefully that’ll keep everybody safe,” Reece said.

Columbia’s median ordinance faced pushback the City Council approved it with a 5–2 vote on Monday night, with 39 speakers voicing concerns on the rule potentially targeting homeless individuals. Additional concerns include how the rule will be enforced by police.

“Enforcement is one of those questions that came up a lot in council last night, ‘well, how would this be enforced? Will enforcement make situations more dangerous than they are?’ and that was certainly some of my concerns,” said Mike Burden, who is the chief executive officer of the Columbia pedestrian and cyclist advocacy group Local Motion.

Reece said the Springfield Police Department handles median enforcement similar to traffic enforcement by adding it to typical patrol responsibilities for officers.

“We always try to educate first and then we move towards enforcement later on, so it’s really about the discretion of the officer,” Reece said.

Burden added while there may be community concerns about the ordinance targeting certain groups, he is looking to work with the city on other pedestrian safety legislation.

“We didn’t really feel like the ordinance was the right tool to improve pedestrian safety in our community,” Burden said. “However, I’m heartened by the conversations I heard from council members and members of the public who said, ‘this conversation continues.'”

Columbia is currently working on a pedestrian and road study on Business Loop 70, funded by a $2.1 million Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“The team has been working on site surveys of the planning area in preparation for some input meetings in the next couple of months,” Carrie Gartner, executive director of The Loop CID, said in a statement.

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