Concerns escalate over condition of Columbus' fire fleet and division budget
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus fire union is asking the city for help addressing a “critical” vehicle shortage.
Despite years of requests for more funding, Columbus fire union President Steve Stein said the city has not properly maintained the Columbus Division of Fire's (CFD) fleet of vehicles. Stein said the union is drawing a line in the sand now that the vehicle shortage is limiting CFD trainees' ability to properly complete their training. City representatives disagree, saying the fleet is in fine condition.
"When we increase needlessly the risks of this job because of deferred investments and using equipment beyond its useful life, that's unacceptable," Stein said.
The union is protesting the choice between undertraining recruits or delaying the 122 Class's April 11 graduation, both of which Stein said they would not stand for. He said these difficult decisions should not have to be made because CFD has been alerting the city about fleet concerns for years.
Emails sent in 2022 show Fire Chief Jeffrey Happ requesting a budget increase, where he said the average $7.4 million for fleet funding could not keep up with inflation or the growing demands on CFD. Stein said the Chief's office has requested monetary support every year, but unfulfilled requests have reached a "breaking point."
Stein said even if every vehicle needed was purchased immediately, it would still take years to get them on Columbus' streets. Manufacturing backlogs after COVID-19 have increased wait times from 12 months to up to four years for new vehicles.
"Our people will work as hard as possible to always get the job done for the citizens of Columbus," Stein said. "But the reality is, too often we're having to make it work and use work arounds to get the job done."
City representatives said rising vehicle costs have made them be more carfeul with their money. However, the city said CFD's response time has not been affected by any vehicle concerns. Further, the city said the fleet is in "relatively good shape."
"City of Columbus Fire apparatus is in better condition than it has been in many years because of the capital commitments from the administration over the last 10 years," A Division of Fleet Management spokesperson said.
However, maintenance records obtained by NBC4 Investigates show trucks are spending more and more days in the shop. Documents listing apparatus servicing from March 2016 show 409 combined days out of commission for repairs. As of March 2025, the monthly average length of time vehicles are out of service is 584 combined days.
“In some cases, you have equipment that is duct taped together. In other cases, there's pictures where you have a pump panel where the throttle that controls how much water is coming to the fire hose is being held on the truck with a wrench,” Stein said.
City representatives said the Division of Fleet Management takes more into consideration than how long vehicles have been in repairs when assessing the state of its fleet. The city also said it just approved six vehicle purchases on March 24, with three more set to be voted on in April.
CFD's Standard Operating Procedures document outlines how many front line and reserve vehicles the city should have. NBC4 Investigates compared these standard procedures with the vehicles listed in CFD's 2024 fleet analysis. When compared side-by-side, CFD appears to be 11 engines, five ladders, three rescues and five medics short as of 2024.
Even if the city approved all pending City Council requests, these investments will likely not arrive in Columbus for several years and the fleet would still be short 15 vehicles. Of the vehicles CFD does have, the fleet analysis found 31 medics, 19 fire engines, four ladder vehicles and 11 specialty vehicles need replaced immediately.
"The predictability of this problem, I think, is really what cuts to the frustration our firefighters have, because it has been years the fire administration's been asking for increases in equipment funding, and it hasn't occurred," Stein said.
As Columbus grows, Stein said CFD is under increased demand, further adding to the wear and tear of these vehicles. He's asking the city to come to the table to help address these concerns and publicly acknowledge the crisis. The city said it is proactively seeking funding to replace vehicles but did not echo Stein's concerns.