November 7, 2011 Monday

Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri)

The Columbia/Boone County Joint Communications 911 Center was back to normal operations by 11 p.m. yesterday after the office was evacuated for a small fire.

At 9:15 p.m., the building that houses the 911 center was evacuated, Joint Communications Director Zim Schwartze said in a statement. Six staff members were in the center, 17 N. Seventh St., but no one was injured.

The Columbia Police Department also was temporarily evacuated, she said. Limited phone capabilities were maintained during the evacuation.

Columbia firefighters responded to the fire, which appears to have been electrical in nature, Schwartze said.

Electrical panels installed improperly years ago failed during the installation of new equipment.

“We are very thankful that this incident did not result in any injuries,” Schwartze said. “The fire was limited to one call-taking area but did temporarily affect other consoles as well.”

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