Safety Director Ned Pettus, Jr., Announces Retirement
After 40 years of
service to the City of Columbus, Public Safety Director Ned Pettus, Jr., today
announces his retirement. “Serving this
city has been my honor and privilege. This is the community that made me. It is
a part of who I am, and always will be,” Pettus said. “But as I approach my 70th
birthday, the time has come to focus full-time on my family.”
Pettus spent 35
years with the Columbus Division of Fire, starting in 1977. He rose through the
ranks to become the city’s first African American Fire Chief in 2002. In
his 10 years as Fire Chief, the Division achieved one of the first
international accreditations by the Commission on Fire Accreditation
International in the United States. Under his direction, Columbus was also
recognized as the first fire department in Ohio to implement a web-based
Statewide Emergency Response Plan, which served as a model for the entire
country.
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther appointed Pettus Director of Public
Safety on August 1, 2016. In the five years since, Pettus oversaw significant
changes in Public Safety. Among them: the addition of body-worn cameras for
Columbus Police officers, the installation of the ShotSpotter gunfire detection
system in four Columbus neighborhoods, the replacement of Fire Stations 2 and
16, and the opening of Fire Station 35 and Police Substation 1.
He worked with Mayor Ginther on the selection of new
leadership for the divisions of Police and Fire. Along with appointing Jeffrey Happ as Fire
Chief, he appointed the city’s first female Assistant Fire Chief, Tracy
Smith. Historic firsts in the Division
of Police included the appointment of Chief Elaine Bryant, the first female African
American Chief and first external candidate, the creation of the rank of
Assistant Chief of Police, the establishment of a Civilian Police Review Board
and Office of Inspector General, and the creation of Cadet Programs for both
Police and Fire. The Cadet Programs have
helped to dramatically improve diversity in both divisions. In the last year,
both the Police and Fire academies seated the most diverse recruit classes in a
generation.
“Director Pettus
has been a guiding force in the effort to strengthen and improve our city’s
most essential services,” said Mayor Ginther. “He has implemented changes and
reforms that resulted in safety forces that better reflect and serve our
community. I am grateful for his leadership and decades of dedication.”
Pettus
is a lifelong resident of Columbus, graduating from Linden McKinley High
School. Over his career, Pettus obtained a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees
and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from the Fielding Graduate
University in California. In addition, he completed the prestigious
Harvard University Senior Executives in State and Local Government
Certification. He was named the International Fire Chief’s Association
“Metro Fire Chief of the Year” in 2009 and earned numerous other
honors.
Pettus’ first day of
retirement is September 1.