Weekly Meeting – Chief Brian Schaeffer – Fire Prevention Month

Brian is bringing invaluable experience to this role,” City Manager De’Carlon Seewood said. “He has demonstrated his ability to be forward-thinking about priorities and commit to levels of service the Columbia Fire Department continually strives to achieve.”

Brian Schaeffer previously served as the assistant fire chief and fire chief of the Spokane, Washington Fire Department from 2005 to 2024.

Before working at the Spokane Fire Department, Schaeffer was deputy fire chief at the Yakima Fire Department in Yakima, Washington, and deputy fire chief at Yakima Fire District 12.

Schaeffer’s education includes a master of leadership education from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and a bachelor’s degree of science in fire science from Sterling College in Kansas City, Missouri. His professional qualifications include being a Chief Fire Officer (CFO) and Chief Emergency Medical Service Officer (CEMSO), and he is a graduate of the Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI).