Report: Columbus in need of more firefighters, medics
COLUMBUS, Ohio — 10TV has received an exclusive copy of a 212-page report on the Columbus Division of Fire outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the department.
The biggest concern from the report is staffing levels. In 2000, the population of Columbus was 711,470. At the time, the department had 1,511 members. In 2022, the population is 918,429 with 1,548 firefighters.
The department has only added 37 positions, even though the population of Columbus has jumped more than 200,000.
10TV has reported since September 2021, as the population has grown, the number of Columbus firefighters has remained about the same. The bigger issue is that more firefighters are retiring than the division can hire.
According to the report, “the current system produces approximately 80 new recruits a year, but the division has approximately 100 retirements during the same period.”
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