In August of 2001, Columbia was asked to become a MMRS (Metropolitan Medical Response System)   member.  MMRS fosters an integrated, coordinated approach to medical response planning and operations, as well as medical incident management at the local level.   On May 24, 2002 a contract was signed and through contracts and grants, the City received pharmaceuticals, equipment, and training, in support of disaster management, whether natural or man made. Gaining these capabilities increased the preparedness of the jurisdictions for a mass casualty event caused by an incident involving hazardous materials, an epidemic disease outbreak, or a natural disaster.

        The MMRS Program was created in 1996, in response to the Tokyo mass transit Sarin gas attack by Aum Shinrikyo and the domestic terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, both having occurred in 1995. 

         The Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) program assists highly populated jurisdictions to develop plans, conduct training and exercises, and acquire pharmaceuticals and personal protective equipment, to achieve the enhanced capability necessary to respond to a mass casualty event caused by a WMD terrorist act. This assistance supports the jurisdictions' activities to increase their response capabilities during the first hours crucial to lifesaving and population protection, with their own resources, until significant external assistance can arrive.

                                             BOMB SQUAD

         Provide for the detection, prevention, response, and mitigation of all suspicious packages and/or devices which represent a threat or potential threat to the public. Provide threat assessment, training, and technical assistance as requested for dignitaries, events, or specialized operations as necessary.