Fire Division

(6) April 4, 1954 marked a great accomplishment for the division. Under the direction of Sam Foster, who served as fire chief from 1942 to 1960, UAFD’s 11 personnel hosted the first house burning for the purpose of testing and training in the central Ohio area. Approximately 800 firefighters, along with 20,000 spectators, turned out to watch the demonstration of a new technique called fogging, in which a fire is smothered with a fine mist of water instead of directing solid streams of water at the base of the blaze. Only 612 gallons of water were used during this test run. It was estimated that 16,200 gallons would have been used with the straight stream method.

(7) April 7, 1955 was a tragic day for the Fire Division. Lieutenant Jack C. O’Donnell, a 35-year-old third ranking officer, became the first Upper Arlington firefighter to die in the line of duty. He became ill after fighting a house fire and never recovered. His death was caused by heart failure due to smoke inhalation and over exertion.

(8) The second Upper Arlington fire station (and police substation)—Station 72—was opened on December 27, 1959 on Reed Road. The station was dedicated to Fire Chief Samuel L. Foster, who at the time headed a staff of 21 personnel assigned to seven emergency apparatus.

(9) In 1965, UAFD had expanded its firefighting force to 29 personnel and one canine. Sparky the Fire Dog was added to the division to help spread fire prevention information. He was taken around to shopping centers and classrooms where he helped in the teaching of important safety messages.

(10) Groundbreaking on a third fire station on Coach Road—Station 73—occurred on August 30, 1971. The new station was built to serve the northwest area of the City, including residents who were part of the 1969 annexation of 500 acres north of McCoy Road. The cost for the new firehouse was $256,000.

(11) By 1972, the City had grown to 9.5 square miles with a population of 40,000. City offices were expanding as well, with construction of the Municipal Services Center (MSC) on Tremont Road. Following the opening of the MSC, the Fire Division’s administrative and fire prevention offices were moved from the original city hall at 2095 Arlington Avenue. The older building, following adoption of a new regional apparatus and station numbering system, became Fire Station 71.

(12) Over the years, UAFD personnel participated in a series of competitive meets that tested their skills and abilities in first aid and emergency care. In 1974, the division was awarded the world championship trophy by the International Rescue and First Aid Association.

(13) UAFD was one of the pioneers in the use of educational methodology to minimize fire problems in the community. Its juvenile fire setter intervention program and its school fire safety education program are considered as models by fire services across the United States.

(14) On Christmas Eve in 1980, UAFD responded to the most tragic fire in the City’s history. Two adults and four children perished in a house fire at Kenny and McCoy roads.

(15) To meet the needs of larger fire apparatus, as well as safety and personnel issues, Fire Station 71 was gutted and underwent a $1 million renovation in 1991.

(16) On September 11, 2001, four UAFD personnel responded as part of Ohio Task Force 1’s federal urban search and rescue task force to the collapse of the World Trade Center. Arriving in New York early the next day, task force personnel worked for 10 days with other rescuers from across the United States at the site of the largest terrorist attack ever committed on American soil.

(17) UAFD celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2005 with a yearlong series of activities. The capstone was the reacquisition of the City’s original 1930 Seagrave fire engine (known as “Engine 1”). The truck was restored to running condition through cooperative fund raising efforts by Local 1521 of the International Association of Firefighters, the City of Upper Arlington, and private community benefactors. Engine 1 made its proud public debut at the 2005 Fourth of July Parade. It is displayed in a dedicated public exhibit gallery at Fire Station 72.

(18) Back in 1992, UAFD was one of the first departments in the nation to implement a mandatory physical fitness training program. Following the 2007 annual health and fitness evaluation, Mt. Carmel Health identified the Fire Division as the “fittest” of all the fire departments they tested. This included the division achieving the lowest average body mass index and body fat ever in its history.

(19) 2008 was marked by a groundbreaking ceremony for construction of a new Fire Station 72. City Council previously authorized issuance of $6 million in bonds to construct the new facility on Reed Road, replacing existing stations 72 and 73.

(20) In 2009, the Fire Division partnered with a local private social service agency to integrate a service coordinator as an alternative resource for the community. Dubbed “STAY UA” (Services to Age in Your Upper Arlington), this was in direct response to the continuing influx of incidents in which residents were calling 9-1-1 for non-traditional EMS. The main goal of STAY UA is to facilitate keeping older adults and residents with disabilities safely in their homes. The success of this innovative program was recognized in 2010 with receipt of the Columbus Business First “Healthcare Heroes Innovator Award,” and in 2011 with the International City Management Association’s “Community Partnership Excellence Award.”

(21) Following a year-long construction project, a brand new Fire Station 72 opened in 2010. The firehouse was built as a shared-services facility, with emergency response and administrative personnel from UAFD stationed there, as well as police support services. Continuing a past practice, an indoor police firearms qualification range was included in the lower level of the facility. That same year, the original Station 72 was demolished, and outdoor recreational amenities installed over its original footprint. The year of its opening, Station 72 was featured on the cover of the national fire service magazine Fire Chief, for being named a winner of the publication’s annual “Station Design Style Award.”

(22) In 2013, the City administration gave the fire chief approval to move all UAFD support personnel from the Municipal Services Center to Station 72. To accommodate the space requirements, all police support services personnel (except the training sergeant) were moved to the MSC as the Police Division took over the offices formerly occupied by the Fire Division.

(23) A major explosion in 2015 in a residential area on Sunningdale Way completely destroyed one house and severely damaged several others. The blast was heard and felt for miles, and subsequent investigations traced the cause to ignition of free-flowing natural gas in the destroyed home. In addition to UAFD, a large number of employees from City departments played an important part in the initial response, cause-and-origin determination, and the recovery and re-building efforts.

(24) The UAFD table of organization underwent major changes during 2015-16. The rank of emergency operations shift commander was changed from battalion chief to captain. The PIO position was eliminated and a new deputy chief position added.

(25) 2017 saw the launch of a pilot community paramedicine program. Dubbed “CARES” (Community Assistance, Referrals, & Educational Services), it was initiated to complement the existing STAY UA service coordinator program. In recognition of the adoption of these non-traditional fire department services, the Ohio Department of Public Safety awarded UAFD its “Ohio EMS Agency of the Year” designation.

(26) Also in 2017 came the decision by City Council and the City administration to close the existing in-house police and fire 911/dispatching center at the MSC. This was the culmination of a multi-year study that originated in 2012. The City completed the transfer of all 9-1-1 and public safety dispatching services to the Northwest Regional Emergency Communication Center (NRECC), operated by the City of Dublin, in early 2018.