About Us

History/Background

Established in 1822, the Columbus Division of Fire has a rich history of over 200 years of service to the Public. The division is led by the Fire Chief and organized into six key bureaus, Administration, Emergency Services, Fire Prevention, Support Services, and Training, each managed by an Assistant Chief, and our Medical Operations and EMS Bureau managed by the division’s Medical Director. Our mission as the Columbus Division of Fire is to serve our community by preventing emergencies through education and inspection. Our dedicated personnel strive to minimize injury, death, and property destruction due to fire, natural disaster and other emergencies while providing timely and effective emergency medical services. Our values include Preservation of life and property, Safety, Personal Integrity, Professionalism, and Respect for Others.

First aid and rescue became a component of the Columbus Fire Department as far back as 1936. In 1969, Columbus became the home of the Heartmobile, a mobile coronary care vehicle, the first of its kind in the United States, which evolved into our paramedic system. Today, emergency medical service (EMS) runs make up more than 80% of our total runs. All Columbus Firefighters are Emergency Medical Technician or Paramedic-level trained. With 1,700 sworn personnel and over 300 civilians, we are the largest Fire Department in Ohio and continue to grow as Columbus grows. Our sworn ranks of Firefighter, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief, and Fire Chief, serve our citizens 24/7 from headquarters or one of our 35 Firehouses located across seven battalions covering approximately 220 square miles. Our emergency response requests are made utilizing 44 EMS vehicles (ambulance), 35 Engines, 17 Ladders, 5 Heavy Rescues, 14 Boats, a Mobile Stroke Unit, and a Bariatric Unit. Our Special Operations Teams include our Tactical EMS Team, FEMA Type I Bomb Squad, and our Hazardous Material Teams serving the City of Columbus and 36 surrounding Ohio counties. Since 2007, we have maintained a rigorous national accreditation from the Committee on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) and hold an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class-1 rating.

As part of our Outreach Medicine Right Response program, we also have a Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team (RREACT) to engage individuals who suffer from alcohol and/or substance use disorder, and a Specialized Program Assessing Resource Connectivity (SPARC). SPARC is a multi-agency EMS outreach team including paramedics and clinicians who assist individuals identified through 911 calls and community referrals to address medical and social needs. The top priority of the members of Columbus Fire is the health and safety of our residents and guests!    

Our Mission

Our mission as the Columbus Division of Fire is to serve our community by:

• Preventing emergencies through education and inspection
• Minimizing injury, death, and property destruction due to fire, natural disaster and other emergencies
• Minimizing injury, death, and suffering by providing timely and effective emergency medical service

Our Values

In order to accomplish our mission, we, the members of the Columbus Division of Fire, use the following values to guide our actions:

• Preservation of life
• Preservation of property
• Safety
• Personal integrity
• Professionalism
• Respect for others

Columbus Fire Official Oath

I, State Your Name,
Do solemnly swear (or affirm),
That I will support the Constitution and laws of the United States of America,
The Constitution and Laws of the State of Ohio,
The laws and ordinances of the City of Columbus,
and the Rules and Regulations of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire.
that I will not affiliate with a defined hate group; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of (State Your Rank), to which I have been appointed according to law, and to the best of my ability.