Career (Paid)

COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT

Columbia, SC · Richland County

COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT is a Career (Paid) department serving Columbia, SC (Richland County), with 29 stations and 520 total personnel. Full equipment, coverage, and staffing data from HIFLD are below.

520
Total personnel
29
Stations
Fire trucks
No
EMS service
+1980%
above SC avg personnel
(25/dept)
100th
percentile by size
of 528 SC depts
18
personnel per station
staffing density
None
no FEMA grants on record
AFG / SAFER

Department Profile

Type
MOSTLY CAREER
Location
Columbia, SC
FDID
40104

Staffing vs the South Carolina average

How COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT's personnel count compares to the typical department in South Carolina. It is larger than 100% of the 528 reporting departments statewide.

▲ 1980% above the state average
Stations
29
State fire deaths/yr
75
SC departments
689

What This Data Tells You About COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT

COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT operates as a Career (Paid) department in Columbia, within Richland County, and the HIFLD and USFA records give a precise structural picture of its response capacity. The department reports 520 total personnel, 29 stations, no truck inventory reported. EMS capability is listed as not provided, which directly affects how medical calls in the service area are routed and how quickly an advanced life support unit can reach a patient. Department type matters because career, volunteer, and combination organizations carry very different response-time profiles and funding sources.

Benchmarking against the state gives this profile context. South Carolina has 689 registered fire departments and 17,475 total personnel, averaging roughly 25 staff per department. COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT runs 1980% above that state average, signalling a larger-than-typical crew likely tied to denser population or higher call volume. The state records about 32,100 fires, 75 fire deaths, and 49% volunteer coverage each year, which shapes training, funding priorities, and mutual-aid patterns felt at every department in the state.

No FEMA AFG or SAFER grant awards are recorded against this department's FDID in USAspending data, which is common for smaller or volunteer-heavy organizations that lean on state and local funding instead. Residents, insurers, and mutual-aid partners use these data points to judge whether coverage is adequate for the built environment, whether ISO ratings are defensible, and where future capital investment should flow. All figures on this page come from the Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD) public dataset, USFA published statistics, and USAspending.gov, and are presented without editing so the underlying federal record remains transparent and verifiable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many firefighters does COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT have?

COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT has 520 total personnel according to HIFLD data. This is 1980% above the South Carolina average of 25 per department.

Does COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT provide EMS services?

COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT does not provide EMS. A separate EMS agency likely covers this area.

How many fire stations does COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT operate?

COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT operates 29 fire stations.

What type of fire department is COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT?

COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT is a Career (Paid) department serving Richland County, SC. Career departments employ full-time paid firefighters.

How many fire departments are in South Carolina?

South Carolina has 689 fire departments with 17,475 total personnel. 49% are volunteer departments.

Data from HIFLD Open Data (FEMA/DHS). Not all departments report equally.

Related

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFireData Editorial

Federal data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from FEMA/DHS HIFLD Open Data. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.