COLUMBUS, Ohio — Some of the most accomplished EMS and fire workers from across the state are were honored in Columbus Wednesday afternoon.
What You Need To Know
- There were more than 20 award recipients
- There is currently a shortage of career and volunteer firefighters
- Many fire departments are lacking resources, funding and equipment
- The state rolled out the SAFER grant to provide funds directly to fire departments for hiring
Several EMS and fire workers from across the state were honored for the valor and bravery Wednesday afternoon. There are around 50,000 men and women who are in Ohio's fire service and more than 20 of them were recognized and honored at the 42nd annual Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame and Fire Awards Ceremony.
Captain Mike Kaake of Colerain Township was one of several to receive the Fire Service Valor Award. He was recognized for a water rescue he and his fellow firefighters made. In July 2021, a young man’s kayak flipped over into a pile of debris. Kaake and his team responded to the scene for a water rescue. Thanks to Kaake’s fast-action front line service, the young man survived and returned home to his family.
“It was very special,” said Kaake. "I've been in charge of water rescue for a long time and, you know, we make a decent amount of water rescue runs, but that run was definitely different from all the other runs that we've made, you know, in the water that day. The urgency, you know, the need to get the victim out of the water quickly so that one definitely sticks out in my head.”
State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon doesn’t want stories like this to go unnoticed. Like many states, Ohio is struggling with recruitment and retention, and Reardon used the ceremony as a platform to advocate for more resources and funding. Around 70% of the 1,180 fire departments in the state are volunteer fire services, but those services are struggling to stay afloat because of the lack of adequate funding.
In spring 2022, Gov. Mike DeWine created a task force for Ohio Volunteer Fire Service. Reardon said that it’s not enough and legislation needs to take action in the budget sooner than later.
“You never have to wonder where we're going to show up or not,” said Reardon. “We call 911 and you get help. But people need to understand, in Ohio, that's not an easy thing. Sometimes there are budgetary issues in every fire department, whether it's a full-time department or volunteer department, it takes a lot of funding to make that response happen and we've got some areas of Ohio that are struggling, but we still do it.”
The ceremony recognized firefighters and EMS workers for doing everything from saving kids from a burning car to rescuing people in a dangerous domestic dispute. Kaake has been a firefighter for more than 20 years and said that while it’s nice to be recognized, his community’s smiles and kind words are recognition enough.
“It's good to see the positive outcomes, but even when there's not positive outcomes, you know, you see family members that had tragedies and say, you know, you guys, your compassion and kindness helped me get through this,” said Kaake. “That's always a good thing, too,”
The state recently rolled out the SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Grant, which provides funding directly to career and volunteer fire departments to help increase or maintain the number of frontline firefighters in their communities.
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