CENTERBURG — Chili, fire station tours, and a groundbreaking ceremony were part of Sunday’s activities hosted by the Central Ohio Joint Fire District in recognition of National Fire Prevention Month.
Phil Lohmeyer, COJFD chaplain and fire safety inspector, opened the groundbreaking ceremony in prayer, saying that those assembled came “in gratitude.”
Tom Stewart, president of the COJFD Fire Board, said the upcoming changes at the station are due to the efforts of board members, township trustees, residents, First-Knox National Bank, firefighters, and South Bloomfield trustees.
Stewart, along with Fire Chief Joe Porter and fire board member Don McCracken, was part of the 1995 expansion when the Hilliar Township-Centerburg Volunteer Fire Department moved to its current location at 5138 Columbus Road. The primary reason behind the move was the need for more space.
In 2000, the Village of Centerburg and Hilliar, Liberty and Milford townships formed the COJFD. Since then, the COJFD has transformed from a volunteer department to a full-time/part-time paid department.
“And now here are, we need a little more space again,” said Porter. “We have one more big thank you to the Hank and Nellie Boyd family. Without the funds that came to us [from the trust], this wouldn’t be possible.”
The expansion project includes an addition to the west end of the station that will house a dormitory and offices for the fire chief and lieutenant. The current office and dorm space will be renovated to include new toilet and shower facilities, a sauna, an office for the fire safety officer, a patient exam/treatment room for walk-ins, a conference room, and firefighter office and study space.
The apparatus room will continue to house fire and EMS vehicles. It will also be renovated to include a firefighter decontamination shower room and a physical training room. A lean-to added to the back side of the apparatus room will provide storage space.
Porter said the goal is to break ground by Dec. 15. Thomas and Marker Construction is the design-build team; Mull and Weithman Architects is the criteria architect for the project.
Other activities included six new firefighters taking the oath of service.
“The swearing in for the firefighter is a traditional thing and part of our culture in the fire service,” said Porter. “It’s really, really a big deal.”
The six firefighters who took the oath are Ryan Tutorow, Andrew Cella, Nathan Hossler, Matthew Sites, Erik Wampler, and Chris Wilson.
1834 Midway Tavern took first and second place in the chili cook-off with its bacon cheeseburger and black bean chilies. Survival Flight took third.
Knox County Commissioner Teresa Bemiller, James Hobson of First-Knox National Bank, and fire board member Dick Litzenberg joined Stewart and McCracken as cook-off judges.
Members of Mount Carmel’s Survival Flight and the St. Louisville-based Air Evac Lifeteam also attended the event.
