Latest news with #ColumbusDivisionofFire
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Columbus police identify teen who died after early morning shooting on city's North Side
Columbus police have identified the teenage male who died after an early morning shooting on the city's North Side that also wounded a second person. Ariyaun M. Burton, 17, and another male were found with gunshot wounds at about 4 a.m. Sunday, May 4, in a Toyota Rav4 SUV at the Sheetz on the 900 block of East Dublin-Granville Road (Route 161), Columbus police said. Officers rendered aid until Columbus Division of Fire medics arrived and transported the two victims to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. Burton was pronounced dead at 4:38 a.m. at the hospital, police said in a news release several hours later. The other victim, whom police did not identify, was in stable condition and is expected to survive his injuries. Police got a call at 3:58 a.m. on Sunday, May 4, about a shooting on the 900 block of East Lincoln Avenue near its eastern T dead-end with Roche Drive and Roche Place by the entrance to the Woodward Park Trail, just on the west side of Interstate 71. A police dispatcher said the driver of a Toyota Rav4 SUV called 911 saying that he and his passenger had been shot and were fleeing the scene of the shooting. They were advised to drive into the Sheetz parking lot a short distance away to wait for first responders, who were also dispatched there. Police investigating the shooting had placed at least 17 evidence markers around shell casings found in the street on East Lincoln near Roche, video footage from a local TV station at the scene showed. At the Sheetz, the area around the Toyota SUV parked close to the convenience store was enclosed with crime scene tape. The rear window of the vehicle appeared to have been shot out. Police did not provide information about any suspects or what led up to the shooting in the release identifying Burton. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Columbus police Homicide Unit at (614) 645-4730 (ask for Detectives Miller or Weiner) or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477). shendrix@ @sheridan120 This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus North Side shooting leaves 1 dead, 1 injured
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Yahoo
Juvenile killed in north Columbus after being hit by vehicle
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A juvenile died after being struck by a vehicle on a private drive west of Easton Saturday afternoon. According to Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, deputies responded to the 2000 block of Oakland Park Avenue on a report of a pedestrian struck at 4:20 p.m. Saturday. Baldwin said a juvenile pedestrian was struck and pronounced dead on the scene. Baldwin said a black 2011 Honda Pilot was traveling northbound when the juvenile ran in front of the car and was struck. The driver and passenger of the Honda were uninjured, and the juvenile's age is not yet known. Baldwin said Franklin County deputies are still investigating the crash and were assisted by Clinton Township police and the Columbus Division of Fire. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Franklin County Sheriff's Office Crash Investigation Unit at 614-525-6113. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Woman charged in theft of Columbus Division of Fire equipment, including transport van
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – One person has been arrested in connection with the theft of more than $300,000 worth of firefighting equipment from the Columbus Division of Fire. According to court documents, multiple suspects are believed to have stolen expensive operational firefighting equipment, including a marked Columbus Fire Department transport van in the early morning hours of March 30. Columbus among most sought-after cities by renters, report says Police said the suspects forcibly entered the Columbus Division of Fire Training Academy on Parsons Avenue in South Columbus. GPS data then showed the stolen van leaving the property at 2:20 a.m. Surveillance video from multiple locations shows an orange Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck in the area before the theft, parked nearby the Training Academy at the time of the break-in, and was seen following the stolen van immediately after it left the property. The stolen transport van and the orange pickup truck reportedly traveled approximately 30 miles over a 53-minute period, in and around Franklin County as well as Pickaway County. Central Ohio gas prices rebound after modest decline Police observed the vehicles on Fontaine Road in the far east side of the city, where small components of the stolen equipment, such as radio cords and clips, were found discarded on the ground. Video surveillance shows individuals moving between the stolen van and the pickup truck at that location. The investigation, with the assist of FLOCK cameras, tracked the registration of the pickup truck to 49-yaer-old Stephanie Ramirez, of Groveport, who is charged with burglary. Ramirez was issued a $750,000 bond in Franklin County Municipal Court Monday morning and is slated to next appear in court on April 15 for a preliminary hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
‘False narrative': Fleet administrator denies Columbus fire vehicle concerns
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Columbus fire union said the Columbus Division of Fire is facing a 'critical' vehicle shortage, but the city Fleet Administrator said there's no such issue. NBC4 Investigates sat down with Fleet Administrator Kelly Reagan to discuss Columbus Division of Fire (CFD) vehicle concerns. Reagan said there is a lack of funds, but called the shortage a 'false narrative,' saying CFD has enough trucks for its needs. However, fire union statements and internal CFD emails show the division is having to make tough choices because there are not enough vehicles, including possibly undertraining the current recruit class. 'Yes, it's aging. Is it aging beyond use? No,' Reagan said. 'Is there enough equipment that they can do training? Yes. So I think it's important to understand that the narrative just needs to be corrected a bit.' Ohio libraries could lose millions in federal funding Emails dated last week show members of CFD leadership debated delaying the 122 Class's April 11 graduation or placing recruits on the streets without standard vehicle training. Union President Steve Stein called both choices unacceptable, and last Thursday's training had to be canceled due to a lack of usable vehicles. NBC4 Investigates asked about these documented concerns, but Reagan maintained there is no shortage. Reagan took on the role managing the city's fleet of vehicles 18 years ago, and he said there was no fire vehicle replacement standard when he took the helm. He said he worked with CFD to establish a conservative replacement standard. Using these replacement standards, a 2024 CFD Fleet Analysis found 66% of the current fleet is past its life expectancy. NBC4 Investigates showed Reagan the 2024 Fleet Analysis to ask about these replacement concerns. He said it may have used data from the Fleet division, but said he had never seen the document before. Both Stein and Reagan said vehicular concerns are more pressing because of increased costs and wait times after COVID-19. Manufacturing that used to take 12 months now requires up to four or five years of waiting, so replacements must be ordered years in advance. With these delays, the fleet analysis found 65 of a total 198 CFD vehicles need replaced immediately, and 13 more should be replaced soon. City fleet maintenance records obtained by NBC4 Investigates show vehicles were out of service a total of 409 days in March 2016. This average has increased, and 2025 records show a monthly average of 584 days vehicles are out of service. Reagan said he thought those numbers didn't mean as much, saying repair turnaround times are a better gage of fleet maintenance. How Trump's 'liberation day' tariffs could affect Ohioans Reagan said last month, his department opened 151 work orders for CFD equipment, 125 of which they closed within 24 hours. However, city maintenance records obtained by NBC4 only list 12 of 45 total work orders as taking less than one week to complete. The data may not include work orders closed within a few hours, but it does include orders that only took one day to complete. 'Not having enough equipment is absolutely a false narrative,' Reagan said. 'I would put our apparatus and our age of our apparatus up against any other city in the state of Ohio, much less than the Midwest. Our fleet is in excellent condition.' Columbus is growing more quickly than any other Ohio city, and is the second-fastest growing Midwest city. Stein said this rapid growth is contributing to increased wear and tear on vehicles. Stein said this situation is not about placing blame, but the union is asking the city to come to the table to figure out a solution. Both the union and Reagan agreed that the fleet needs more funding. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther gave NBC4 the following statement about fleet concerns: 'I share the Division of Fire's commitment to protecting Columbus residents through timely, high-quality emergency services. As such, I find it important to reiterate that there are presently zero gaps in in Columbus Fire's response capability. Today, every Columbus Fire Station has a vehicle to meet its service needs. Columbus taxpayers have spent nearly $46 million on fire and EMS vehicles since 2020. As we have invested considerably, we – and cities across the country – have been challenged by equipment inflation of up to 50% and significant supply chain delays. This means that even our generous resources don't go as far, or deliver results as quickly, as they used to. While our fleet is in good working order, our first responders deserve the best. I will use our 2025 Capital Budget and work alongside the Departments of Finance and Public Safety to continue to ensure that every fire station has the quality and quantity of equipment they need to serve every neighborhood.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Concerns escalate over condition of Columbus' fire fleet and division budget
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Columbus fire union is asking the city for help addressing a 'critical' vehicle shortage. Despite years of requests for more funding, Columbus fire union President Steve Stein said the city has not properly maintained the Columbus Division of Fire's (CFD) fleet of vehicles. Stein said the union is drawing a line in the sand now that the vehicle shortage is limiting CFD trainees' ability to properly complete their training. City representatives disagree, saying the fleet is in fine condition. 'When we increase needlessly the risks of this job because of deferred investments and using equipment beyond its useful life, that's unacceptable,' Stein said. Gov. DeWine denies claim of 'anti-LGBTQ+ climate' in Ohio The union is protesting the choice between undertraining recruits or delaying the 122 Class's April 11 graduation, both of which Stein said they would not stand for. He said these difficult decisions should not have to be made because CFD has been alerting the city about fleet concerns for years. Emails sent in 2022 show Fire Chief Jeffrey Happ requesting a budget increase, where he said the average $7.4 million for fleet funding could not keep up with inflation or the growing demands on CFD. Stein said the Chief's office has requested monetary support every year, but unfulfilled requests have reached a 'breaking point.' Stein said even if every vehicle needed was purchased immediately, it would still take years to get them on Columbus' streets. Manufacturing backlogs after COVID-19 have increased wait times from 12 months to up to four years for new vehicles. 'Our people will work as hard as possible to always get the job done for the citizens of Columbus,' Stein said. 'But the reality is, too often we're having to make it work and use work arounds to get the job done.' DOGE claim of saving $1 million at Ohio State doesn't match records City representatives said rising vehicle costs have made them be more carfeul with their money. However, the city said CFD's response time has not been affected by any vehicle concerns. Further, the city said the fleet is in 'relatively good shape.' 'City of Columbus Fire apparatus is in better condition than it has been in many years because of the capital commitments from the administration over the last 10 years,' A Division of Fleet Management spokesperson said. However, maintenance records obtained by NBC4 Investigates show trucks are spending more and more days in the shop. Documents listing apparatus servicing from March 2016 show 409 combined days out of commission for repairs. As of March 2025, the monthly average length of time vehicles are out of service is 584 combined days. 'In some cases, you have equipment that is duct taped together. In other cases, there's pictures where you have a pump panel where the throttle that controls how much water is coming to the fire hose is being held on the truck with a wrench,' Stein said. City representatives said the Division of Fleet Management takes more into consideration than how long vehicles have been in repairs when assessing the state of its fleet. The city also said it just approved six vehicle purchases on March 24, with three more set to be voted on in April. Liv's Law: Harsher drunk driving penalties to take effect in Ohio CFD's Standard Operating Procedures document outlines how many front line and reserve vehicles the city should have. NBC4 Investigates compared these standard procedures with the vehicles listed in CFD's 2024 fleet analysis. When compared side-by-side, CFD appears to be 11 engines, five ladders, three rescues and five medics short as of 2024. Even if the city approved all pending City Council requests, these investments will likely not arrive in Columbus for several years and the fleet would still be short 15 vehicles. Of the vehicles CFD does have, the fleet analysis found 31 medics, 19 fire engines, four ladder vehicles and 11 specialty vehicles need replaced immediately. 'The predictability of this problem, I think, is really what cuts to the frustration our firefighters have, because it has been years the fire administration's been asking for increases in equipment funding, and it hasn't occurred,' Stein said. As Columbus grows, Stein said CFD is under increased demand, further adding to the wear and tear of these vehicles. He's asking the city to come to the table to help address these concerns and publicly acknowledge the crisis. The city said it is proactively seeking funding to replace vehicles but did not echo Stein's concerns. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
