Jefferson City leaders allowed staffing additional firefighters while handling historic floods and recovery from last month's tornado.
Fire Chief Matthew Schofield requested that the city temporarily change the city's agreement with the Jefferson City Professional Firefighters Local 671 so the department can "fulfill its public safety mission," according to the resolution. The council unanimously approved the measure Monday.
Schofield is now able to change the definition of "minimum staffing" while the mayor's declaration of emergency remains in effect. Mayor Carrie Tergin signed a declaration for emergency in May ahead of Missouri River flooding, and updated the declaration immediately after the May 22 tornado.
Tergin said there's no telling when the declaration will be lifted.
"We’re monitoring the river levels but a lot of that is completely out of our hands," Tergin said. "What we can control, though, is to say that we will be prepared. We’re going to do what is takes and make sure that our community is safe."