City of Columbus

Ned Pettus Jr., Ph.D. was appointed Public Safety Director for the City of Columbus by Mayor Andrew M. Ginther on August 1^st, 2016, and retired on September 1^st, 2021. Pettus was charged with managing the operations and mission of the Divisions of Fire, Police and Support Services; overseeing an annual budget of approximately $635 million – 65% of the City’s General Fund budget. The Department of Public Safety consists of 529 civilians, 3,571 sworn police and fire personnel, and 140 civilian part-time employees, approximately half of the City’s total personnel. Dr. Pettus is extremely proud that both the police and fire divisions are accredited, making Columbus one of the top three (3) cities in the nation to have both.

Some accomplishments achieved during Dr. Pettus’ tenure as Safety Director include:

• Deployment of body-worn cameras on officers in the Division of Police
• Installation of ShotSpotter Gunfire Detection System in four Columbus neighborhoods
• Replacement of Fire Stations 2 and 16
• Opening of new Fire Station 35 and new Police Substation 1
• Appointment of new Fire Chief – Jeffrey Happ
• Appointment of Columbus’ first female Assistant Fire Chief, Tracy Smith
• Appointment of Columbus’ first Police Chief from outside the Division, Elaine Bryant, who is also the first African-American female to be appointed Columbus Police Chief.
• Established, for the first time in Columbus history, the rank of Assistant Police Chief, just below the rank of Police Chief. Lashanna Potts, an African-American female, is the first to be appointed to this position.
• Other firsts include the establishment of a Civilian Review Board and an Office of Inspector General, both for the Division of Police, and Cadet Programs for both the Division of Police and the Division of Fire. The Cadet Programs have helped dramatically improve diversity in both Divisions relative to representation by women and people of color.
• Deployment of the Mobile Stroke Unit; the RREACT Team, and the SPARC Unit (RREACT=Rapid Response Emergency Addiction and Crisis Team; SPARC=Specialized Program Providing Assessment, Resources and Connection)   

Pettus is a lifelong resident of Columbus, Ohio.  After graduating from Linden McKinley High School, he joined the Columbus Division of Fire in January, 1977 as a firefighter where he rose through the ranks to become the first African-American Fire Chief in the City of Columbus, 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, and was recognized as one of the world’s highest regarded models.  He overcame challenges while reducing overtime by 25%, reducing firefighter injuries by 56%, conducting an extensive overhaul of technology and overseeing the building of a new fire training center, adding a new firehouse and replacement of three other fire stations.  After 9/11, he focused on improved communications and strengthening the Division’s hazmat and bomb squads, directing homeland security funding to increase the capability of both.

After his retirement as fire chief in 2012, Director Pettus put to use his expertise through consultation with Management Partners, assisting numerous fire departments across the country with assessments, efficiencies and effectiveness.  He has been an adjunct faculty instructor at Franklin University.

Over his career, Pettus earned 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 currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Public Safety and Cybersecurity Education at Franklin University, and serves as one of their two Executives in Residence.  Pettus has written numerous articles and presentations and holds affiliations with many fire related associations.  He was named the International Fire Chief’s Association “Metro Fire Chief of the Year” in 2009 and earned numerous other honors. Pettus served as President of the Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association in 2011.