Columbus Division of Fire

Congratulations to Columbus Division of Fire Medic 34 on being named OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital’s EMS Department for the Month for June.

Medic 34 was nominated for the award by emergency department nurses Erin Vonderwell and Isabella Treese for the extraordinary care they provided a patient on a June 8th emergency call.

Firefighters/ paramedics Dan Arnold and Bill Hemming had to perform a needle decompression in field. This required them to insert a needle into the patient’s lung to relieve pressure, thus allowing the patient to breathe effectively.

On Wednesday July 17, staff members from OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital visited Station 34. The medics were given gifts and a certificate honoring their achievement. The staff members also had the chance to congratulate Lt. Mike Biedenharn on his up-coming retirement.

Once again congratulations to Firefighters Dan Arnold and Bill Hemming on a job well done.

RREACT (Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team) held a cookout at Alum Creek Beach for members of their alumni group and their families on Saturday July 13. The cookout is one of many events held each year by RREACT for the alumni group. These events are a way for the group to connect with others who have struggled with addiction, celebrate friendships, and come together as a community.

The day featured food, games, and fun at the beach. Two alumni, Otis Ramsey and June Squires, were recognized for reaching 5 years of being clean and sober.

Ramsey talked about the importance of his sobriety.
“It means everything. It was a goal I thought I would never achieve,” said Ramsey.

“It was like, seeing who I've become over the last five years, I never could have suspected it…I found out who I truly am,” said Ramsey.
“When I was in addiction, I was just frozen in time. It was like I never lived. I just existed in a horrible reality, and I don't live like that no more,” said Ramsey.

Ramsey is grateful the RREACT team never gave up on him.

“They Narcaned me when I was in addiction, and they came the next day to drop off Narcan. They tried to talk to me about coming to rehab, but I was in the middle of getting high and they were getting in the way of that. So, I was very rude, and disrespectful to them, but they still left all their Narcan,” said Ramsey. “It saved my life multiple times after that, and my friends. So, even though I treated them like (expletive) they continued to save my life.”

Squires said she would not have survived without RREACT.

“They Narcaned me multiple times. I absolutely would be dead. I would not be here at all without them,” said Squires.

Squires also spoke about the importance of the alumni group and events.

“It allows us to stay connected and stay together and watch the progress that we make,” said Squires.

“Having a community of people to lean on and talk to you about things is really important. It's vital,” said Squires. “We all have been going through this program together, so we're all really pretty close.”

The RREACT program was established by Columbus Fire in 2017 as a collaborative effort of firefighter/paramedics, social workers and Columbus police officers certified as crisis intervention specialists.
The teams are called upon to provide rapid response and follow-up services to people who have overdosed on opioids or similar drugs. The RREACT team’s mission has grown from getting people into treatment programs, to a more comprehensive network of advocacy and service referrals to help people maintain long-term sobriety.

The RREACT Alumni Group began in the fall of 2019 as a support organization of people in recovery from substance use disorder who have been assisted into treatment by the RREACT Team.

Last year, The Division’s RREACT teams made over 3,139 home visits that resulted in 341 patient transports to addiction treatment facilities. The RREACT team attempted over 5,200 follow up calls, texts and messages to substance use disorder patients and distributed about 1,800 Naloxone overdose reversal treatment kits to the public.

Know someone struggling with addiction? Call 614-330-3413 to learn about treatment options. Or email [email protected]

Please be advised Columbus Fire will be conducting a training exercise today at Huntington Bank located at 7 Easton Oval.

The training exercise will conclude at 2 p.m.

Newly promoted Columbus Fire Lieutenant Doug Hotchkiss received his red officer’s helmet and badge during a gathering at the Dr. Ned Pettus Jr. Fire Training Academy on Friday, June 28th 2024.

Lt. Hotchkiss accepted his officer’s gear from Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Koser and Assistant Fire Chief Mike Secrist in front of group of colleagues serving at the Training Academy gathered to honor his long career at Columbus Fire.

Firefighter Hotchkiss began his career at CFD in May of 1998. He earned his certifications and served as a paramedic, Hazmat Technician and a Bomb Technician. Before his promotion, Hotchkiss served as an “in charge” Heavy Rescue Technician. In 2004, Hotchkiss, along with Lt. Steve Treinish, started the first CFD Dive and Rescue Team.

Lt. Hotchkiss serves on the Ohio Task Force 1, a collaborative team of search and rescue professionals organized under the direction of the Federal Department of Homeland Security, FEMA Office. Ohio Task Force 1 has been deployed to major disaster locations following devastating hurricanes throughout the United States.

Lt. Hotchkiss now serves at the Fire Training Academy where he helps coordinate all in-service training for platoon uniform personnel, including Heavy Rescue Training and Fire Officer 1 and Fire Officer 2 training.

“It’s been a fun & rewarding career serving on the streets for 26 years. Now I have an opportunity to give back by serving at the Training Academy,” said Lt. Hotchkiss.

Are you interested in a career of service to your community? Think you've got what it takes to join our team? Call Columbus Fire Recruitment at 614-645-6387 or text JoinCFD to 888777 to learn more.

Columbus Division of Fire Recruit Class 121 Red Company completed their first 240 live burn training session at the Ohio Fire Academy on Thursday July 11th.

Under the supervision of veteran Columbus Fire Fighters, the six squads that make up 121 Red Co. completed four evolutions through the multi-story burn building. They worked as a team to advance the hose line through the narrow hallways of the building, around corners and up and down stairwells.

“The evolutions we did with them are meant to get them used to moving hose lines, going into a live fire, and what the conditions will feel like. We want to get them acclimated to what they're going to be up against when they go out on the streets,” said instructor, Lt. Stephen Koslow.

Koslow was impressed with the recruits. “Everybody did great. We moved really well,” said Koslow.

“We'll have one more live burn before they go out on the street. So, today was a great, great day, we had good weather, and everything went well,” said Koslow.

“I wasn't sure what to expect, what the evolutions were going to be like,” said recruit Erica Mauder.

“I think that the staff and our captains and the lieutenants did a great job walking us through the evolutions, so that was exciting… It was great to have the guidance and leadership from so many great Columbus firefighters, showing us new techniques,” said Mauder

Recruit Tim Greiner enjoyed the day, “Today was awesome! We did 4 evolutions, simulating different structure fire atmospheres.”

“Everybody got reps in multiple positions. We worked on advancing hose line, and nozzle movement. We had officers leading us, and safety officers behind us. It was safe, it was controlled, and it was fast paced,” said Greiner.

Greiner is eager to learn from veteran firefighters.
” Be a sponge,” said Greiner. “We need to learn from all the experience around us. There are hundreds of years of firefighting experience here that we can draw from. So just learn from everyone you can, be safe, and get better every day,” said Greiner.

Class 121 Red Company will have their second live burn on Aug. 8, at the Ohio Fire Academy.

Local kids ages 9-11 years old, had the opportunity to see what life is like as a Columbus Firefighter and a Columbus Police Officer during the Inspire Sports Police & Fire Camp.

The camp was held July 8-12 at the Willis Athletic Center. The first two days featured Columbus Police and the next two were led by Columbus Firefighters from Community Risk Reduction. A graduation ceremony for the campers was held on the final day at the Dr. Ned Pettus Jr. Fire Training Academy.

The purpose of INSPIRE (Inclusive, Neighborhood Pride, Safety, Personal Health, Integrity, Respect and Education), is to develop character, build trust and relationships with first responders, and to strengthen community connections.

During the fire portion of the camp, campers had fun exploring the different vehicles and equipment used by firefighters, but the main goal was to educate.

Firefighter Rose Swartz was one of the camp instructors. “We basically fashioned it to be a couple days in the life of a firefighter with a really strong emphasis on fire safety,” said Swartz.
“We showed the kids, who I called my junior recruits, how to be fire conscious and health and EMS conscious in their own homes,” said Swarts.

“We did PT (physical training) with them in the morning. So, they got to get up, wake up, and workout. We then went through some of the principles of fire safety, things that as 8- to 12-year-olds they should know,” said Swartz.

The campers also learned what an EMT (emergency medical technician) does, what a paramedic does, and what they can do in an emergency.

The campers got to go through the Columbus Fire Safehouse. Firefighter Felecia Jackson taught the campers how to safely get out of their home if there is a fire by checking doors for heat, crawling under the smoke and going to a designated safe spot once they got out.

The next camp will be Aug. 5-9 for campers ages 12-15 at the Lou Berliner Sports Park.

Columbus Fire Recruit Class 120, Orange Company, practiced climbing aerial and platform ladders on Tuesday, July 2nd, as part of their Ladder Operations training.

Fire recruits focus on ladder operations, including ladder truck operations for both aerial and platform trucks, as well as ground ladders and ladder truck tactics. Each recruit was required to climb the 110-foot aerial ladder, and the 100-foot platform ladder. Booth ladders were tilted to a steep 70-degree pitch.

The purpose of the exercise was to build confidence in performing tasks at extreme heights, often required during a multi-story structure fire or rescue.

During their 32 weeks of training, the recruits will also spend time focusing on engine operations, fire ground operations, emergency medical services and building inspections before graduating from the Columbus Fire Training Academy.

Class 120 will graduate on Friday August 2, 2024, and will then begin serving the residence of Columbus at one of the 34 fire stations located throughout the city.

Happy 4th of July Columbus! Today, we remember those that fought for our freedom and made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day.

Red, White and Boom is the largest single-day event in Columbus. Long before the crowds began streaming into downtown, members of Columbus Division of Fire were hard at work ensuring everyone could have a safe and fun day.

In the days leading up to the event, firefighters with the Fire Prevention Unit were busy inspecting the fireworks launching area.

On the day of Boom, they had the additional job of inspecting each food truck. Firefighters checked to make sure propane tanks are up to code and safe. They checked all cooking areas to ensure there were no fire hazards and checked each truck’s fire extinguisher.

Members of the bomb squad, along with their K-9 partners, began in the early morning hours. The teams inspected vehicles and did sweeps of the area.

Medic crews were stationed throughout downtown to respond quickly to any medical emergency that might arise.

Bike medics made their way through the crowds providing any help needed, and many other firefighters were at Boom to make sure everyone stayed safe.

Columbus Fire would like to wish everyone a happy, and safe Independence Day!

The Columbus Division of Fire Cadet Program application period is now open from July 1, 2024 through July 15, 2024.

Fire Cadet Program is 18 months of paid Fire Service & EMS Training. Minimum Qualifications:
18 Years of Age
High School Diploma or GED
Valid Ohio Drivers License
35 hours per week
$22 an hour
Civil Service Job Title: Student Intern II.

Apply here: https://bit.ly/3zjT0IA

The final day for applications is July 15, 2024. Text firecadet to 888777 for more information.

Members of Columbus Fire Cadet Class Five participated in their second live burn training session on Wednesday, June 26th, at the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg.

Under the leadership of the cadet training staff, and other veteran Columbus Firefighters, the cadets advanced hose lines through the dark hallways and stairwells of the multi-story burn building to attack live fire.

“The cadets have an opportunity to bring all their training together,” said lead instructor Lt. Terry Dancy.
“We go over hose movement, hose advancement, communication, nozzle control, turning tight corners, while also experiencing real heat, and real fire,” said Dancy.

Thursday’s training added new, more difficult scenarios, such as multiple burn rooms, and a basement fire. Despite the added difficulty, the cadets showed great improvement over their first live burn training session.

“They've made significant improvements from the first (live burn),” said Dancy.

“I'm super proud of them. They show promise. They show progress, and I think they have a great future.”

Cadet Emearson Szewczyk-White enjoyed the day.
“Today it was great,” said Szewczyk-White. “We were here a couple weeks ago, but today was a little different. We did harder scenarios, more bends, more stairs were involved with less people,” said Szewczyk-White.

“The last time we were here it was groups of five or six. This time it was four. Then the last evolution, we actually cut the groups down to three. So, it was a lot harder, making it more realistic to what it would be like in real life,” said Szewczyk-White.

Szewczyk-White also felt like they improved over the previous live burn training.

“We got better from the last time and improved throughout the day too. The first evolution was going down the stairs, which we hadn’t done before. It was awkward and dark. So, it was hard, but then the next three evolutions we did a lot better once we got into the flow of things,” said Szewczyk-White.

Szewczyk-White is grateful for the cadet program and the training he is receiving.

“It’s a great program. We have to thank our instructors for sure. Echols, (firefighter Quinton Echols) had us move hose for weeks and weeks before we came here, so it definitely helped in this, and we're only getting better.”

The Columbus Fire Cadet program started in 2019, as a way to introduce non-traditional students to a career in fire service. During the 18-month program, fire cadets alternate between fire operations and EMS training at the Dr. Ned Pettus Jr. Fire Training Academy, as they work towards earning their State of Ohio certifications as Firefighter I & II and emergency medical technicians (EMT-Basic). Several current Columbus firefighters and fire recruits started in the cadet program.

Congratulations to Columbus Division of Fire Medic 19.

On June 19th, members of medic 19 were recognized as Ohio Health Riverside Methodist Hospital’s EMS Department of the Month for May.

The recognition was submitted by emergency department nurses Leah Davis and Makayla King, regarding the actions of Firefighter/paramedic Amber Felter and her interactions with a homeless family in the emergency department.

In their recognition Davis and King stated, “Amber went above and beyond, and it definitely does not go unnoticed.”

Once again, congratulations to Medic 19 and FF Felter on a job well done.

In May, Columbus Fire took 15,005 runs. Of that total, 243 were fire-related and 11,421 were EMS-related runs.

Earlier this month, the Columbus Firefighters Foundation teamed up with Christopher's Promise by providing funds to purchase a new adaptive bicycle for sweet Gia. Gia is seven years old and lives with cerebral palsy. She was born prematurely at 26 weeks, when she weighed barely over a pound and spent six months in the NICU.

Up until the age two, Gia had a G-tube placement for feeding support. She has also received two eye surgeries for vision correction and vision preservation. Cerebral palsy impacts her use of muscle in her entire body, which has made standing and walking complicated for her. Despite all of the challenges she has faced, it definitely does not slow her down! She is extremely active and enjoys bowling, dancing, playing basketball and aspires to learn how to play soccer.

Gia’s family including her mother, Payal; father, Aseem; Grandma Vijaya and Grandpa, Rakesh joined Gia as she was presented with her new adaptive bicycle. Christopher’s Promise founder, Lauren Lichtenauer, Jim Prescott, Gia’s physical therapist, Catie Christensen along with Columbus Firefighters Foundation President Jeff Miller and the crew from Columbus Fire Station 33 presented the bike to Gia.

Miller says the foundation donates about 2-3 adaptive bikes a year. Christopher’s Promise supplies 15-20 bikes a year to families with special needs kids. These bikes can cost up to $10,000.

A big shout out to the foundation and Christopher’s Promise for giving Gia her new wheels! Happy trails, Gia!

, also known as Emancipation Day, is a nationally acknowledged day of recognition, restoration, and celebration.

As we celebrate, honor and educate today in , the men and women of ask you to do so safely - being mindful of hot weather. Here is a link to numerous local celebrations: http://bit.ly/3VsVcF1

The new recruits of the Columbus Division of Fire’s 121st Recruit Class attended Family Night with their loved ones last week.

The informal family picnic event was hosted by the Columbus Fire Training Academy staff, the Division of Fire’s Member Support Unit, the City of Columbus Employee Assistance Program, and IAFF Local 67. Entertainment was provided by Cole Biedenharn, a recruit in class 120.

Fire recruits and their kids climbed aboard engine trucks, performed karaoke, and took rides in the fire engine after a potluck cookout while their spouses, partners, and parents attended an orientation presentation focused on the unique schedules of firefighters and the emotional and physical demands of first responders.

Fire Training Captain Tim Boyd welcomed the recruit’s loved ones to the Columbus Fire family. He then outlined the demanding training schedule and the need for after-class study time required to successfully complete the 32-week academy.

“I tell them (the recruits) all the time, ‘the academy is going to be challenging, but the job is very hard,’ “said Boyd.

” Our job is not to prepare them for a 32-week academy, but to truly prepare them for a 32-year career,” said Boyd.

Firefighter Ryan Arthur, and Lt. Jerry Scott, of the Members Support Unit described some of the common behavioral health issues that may affect firefighters and medics during their careers. They and Ra’Shawd Davis of the Employee Assistance Program explained programs and resources offered by the city to help both firefighters and their families navigate the stresses of a career in the fire service.

The Family Night picnic is a tradition at the Fire Training Academy which provides a setting for recruit family members to build relationships with their peers to help foster a network of life-long friendships and mutual support among the extended family of the fire service.

The members of Class 121 are, Nathan Alshaibani, Reese Brock, Seth Crago, Colton Foor, Morgan Gierman II, Timothy Greiner, Marcus Hall, Jonathan Hill Jr., Nicholas Lathem, Charles Lawson, Maurice Lee, Bryan Marteney II, Erica Mauder, Colin McCarthy, Ryan McClelland, Anthony Mueller, Kyle O’Brien, Mason Paramore, Emma Purington, Cole Richter, Nathan Seabury, Kyle Sigman, Joshua Smith, John Sparks, Caleb Westerlund, Andrew Young, Owen Adkins, Vada Azeem, Jeremy Bush, Jared Croswell, Wyatt Damron, Anton Demenko, Max Driver, Logun Gilbreath, Jacob Jenks, Corey Kelley, Dominick Kegler, Richard Luebben, Emiliano Lucero, Grant Noppenberger, Kevin Petrella, Bas Pray, Nicholas Radcliff, Christopher Rismiller, Jeremy Smith, Erika Stephens, Daniel Stevenson, Ricardo Suazo, Caleb Walker, Johonna Williams, and Nathen Zeisset.

The Columbus Division of Fire celebrates diversity and inclusion and supports our LGBTQ+ community 🏳️‍🌈

We are so proud and grateful to serve this amazing community!

Celebrating “614” day!!

Today commemorates Flag Day. In the first line of our oath of office as firefighters we swear to support the Constitution and laws of the United States of America. Our American Flag is a great representation of that commitment and we are forever grateful for those who have made sacrifices in defense of our flag and what it stands for.

The Columbus Fire 119th Recruit Class celebrated with families, friends and training staff at a commencement ceremony on Friday June 7th, at the Dr. Ned Pettus Jr Fire Training Academy.

The class endured 32 weeks of rigorous physical training, classroom instruction and hands-on fire ground operations training in their quest to earn State of Ohio certifications as firefighters and emergency medical technicians.

These graduates will join the Division’s over 1,500 uniformed firefighters and be assigned to one of the City’s 34 Fire Stations located throughout Columbus. The graduates will begin service to the residents of Columbus immediately.

The 28 men and seven women of the Columbus Fire 119th Recruit Class are Devon Baird, Devon Barron, Matthew Bennett, Everett Bingham, Curtis Browning, Zachery Carey, Corbin Clonch, Jacob Croswell, Atticus Daniels, Dominic DeNiro, Savon Edwards, Oliver Faulkner, Tiandra Finch, Alex Gibson, Zackery Gunn, Kayonce’ Hansard, Justin Holland, Brice Hulsether, Marcus Johnson, Jason Keister, Ray Labrador Jr., Dustin Morehart, Kaitlyn Musick, Mitchell Patterson, Nikolas Planck, Aaron Reke, Rachael Robey, Jorge Robles, A’che Sanchez-Baccus, Jack Sicilian, Troy Snider, Brandon Stanton, Madison Szekeres, Debron Walker and Mary Walton.

Are you interested in a career of service to your community? Think you've got what it takes to join our team? Call Columbus Fire Recruitment at 614-645-6387 or text JoinCFD to 888777 to learn more.

The graduating Columbus Fire 119th Recruit Class celebrated with families during badge pinning ceremonies on Wednesday June 5, 2024. Badge pinning has a long tradition among first responder’s families.

The recruits choose a special person who was fundamental in their journey to becoming a uniformed member to pin on the badge they’ve earned over many weeks to tough training.
These Firefighter/EMT’s will be honored during a commencement ceremony on Friday June 7th, at the Dr. Ned Pettus Jr Fire Training Academy. These graduates will join the Division’s over 1,500 uniformed firefighters and be assigned to one of the City’s 34 Fire Stations located throughout Columbus. The graduates will begin service to the residents of Columbus immediately.

The 28 men and seven women of the Columbus Fire 119th Recruit Class are Devon Baird, Devon Barron, Matthew Bennett, Everett Bingham, Curtis Browning, Zachery Carey, Corbin Clonch, Jacob Croswell, Atticus Daniels, Dominic DeNiro, Savon Edwards, Oliver Faulkner, Tiandra Finch, Alex Gibson, Zackery Gunn, Kayonce’ Hansard, Justin Holland, Brice Hulsether, Marcus Johnson, Jason Keister, Ray Labrador Jr., Dustin Morehart, Kaitlyn Musick, Mitchell Patterson, Nikolas Planck, Aaron Reke, Rachael Robey, Jorge Robles, A’che Sanchez-Baccus, Jack Sicilian, Troy Snider, Brandon Stanton, Madison Szekeres, Debron Walker and Mary Walton.

Students with the Ohio State University Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) program joined Columbus Fire recruits during the live burn training at the Ohio Fire Academy on Nov. 29.

The four ECE seniors, William King, Jess Levitt, Drew Plummer and Kevin Cummins, make up the Stop, Drop, and Drone Team. The team and their professor Alan Gilbert were there to field test the thermal imaging drone they designed and built for their Capstone project, the group’s senior project.

The drone designed by the ECE team can fly above buildings and use its thermal imaging to provide feedback and direction to firefighters on the ground. The feedback helps pinpoint hotspots; assists in concentrating water direction and helps identify areas where the water may not be penetrating.

Columbus firefighters Jared Saling and Joshua Ripley believe the team’s drone design could benefit the department. Saling and Ripley are veteran firefighters, and work in the Division’s Research and Development department where they evaluate equipment and recommend the adoption of new designs or technologies in everything from the gloves firefighters wear to million-dollar tiller-ladder trucks they drive.

Saling and Ripley agreed to act as advisors to the Stop, Drop and Drone Team in June.

“We’ve helped with multiple projects with the OSU Capstone teams over the last year and a half,” said Ripley.

“We had a large-scale fire just up on Fifth Avenue the other day, we could’ve easily use it (the drone) there. You had a big chemical plant that was on fire. You could have 360-degree view of different angles.”

The firefighter-advisers feel a thermal imaging drone could supply valuable information during a large fire.

“Are we going to be getting ahead of the fire? Are we keeping it at bay? Is it getting away from us? We talked to them about having it on apartment complex fires. They can run the attic space very quickly,” said Ripley.

“This team actually started with the idea of building a drone that could spray water or fire retardant on the fire,” recalled Alan Gilbert, the teams advisor and lead lecturer.

“They got ahold of Josh (Ripley) at the CFD and scheduled a meeting. They got to sit down with about eight firefighters who said, ‘no, that's not something we need,” said Gilbert.

Then the discussion turned to a flying thermal imaging system that a fire department could afford.

“They talked about how the cameras are $10,000 and they've (his students) built this for like $500. So, this is their senior project, and this is their final field test,” said Gilbert.

The team reached out to several agencies about their project.

“I encouraged them to find somebody who actually does this. They contacted Ohio State University. They contacted the city of Bexley. They contacted the city of Columbus, and eventually found a great receptive team at the CFD that was really interested and could give feedback and help answer questions for them,” said Gilbert.

The field test had a little bit of a rough start. The drone crashed early on, but the team made repairs and was able to continue.

“We would consider today a mostly successful test. Our drone ended up crashing a little bit during our first test, but the good news is most of the construction of the drone didn't break," said senior Jess Levitt.

"Our thermal imaging, which is slightly more important, was reading the fire in slightly inaccurate temperatures, but the thermal mapping was accurate to what the fire department was also picking up on. That is what we consider a success for today,” said Levitt.

This project was completed over two semesters. Stop, Drop, and Drone started planning the concept and deciding what the goal of the drone would be in January 2023. Most of the second half of the year was spent on the actual construction.

The students hope the partnership with Ohio State University’s ECE program, and the Columbus Division of Fire will continue.

“We've talked about potentially having the next Capstone class work on this project that we've worked on up until this point,” said Levitt.

“Having a phase two project and potentially meeting with the fire department again and seeing what additional nice-to-haves or additional requirements would be nice to add on to this already functioning drone. For us, this is the end of the road. We're graduating in a few weeks, but potentially Ohio State would maintain a relationship with the fire department on this specific project,” Levitt said.

Saling said he enjoyed working with the young engineers, and cited the importance of hearing ideas from outside the fire service, which can be tradition bound. Especially if receiving real-time information from high above can help keep firefighters safer in real world environments.

“Those students come in here without preconceived notions about what is possible and maybe they propose something we haven’t thought about yet,” said Ripley.

“It’s a help to them. It’s a help to us.

Photo & Story by Lorrie Gardner for Columbus Division of Fire Public Information Office