The Madison Township Fire Department is losing its fourth chief in the last seven years. Township trustees voted unanimously at the regular meeting on Monday to accept the resignation of Fire Chief Ron Luttrell, effective Sept. 11.
Luttrell was sworn in as Madison fire chief on May 1, 2017, after working for four years in private industry as an environmental health and safety manager and 26 years as a firefighter in the Lima area. He retired in 2013 from the Shawnee Township Fire Department, where he was a firefighter/paramedic, captain and platoon chief, but maintained his certification while in private industry.
In his letter of resignation, Luttrell thanked the trustees for the opportunity to lead what he described as an “outstanding and dedicated group of men and women” in the Madison Township Fire Department and to be a leader in Madison Township and Richland County. “Please note this was not an easy decision because I’m grateful for the rewarding opportunity I have had in Madison Township and the overwhelming warmth and acceptance into the Madison Township Fire Department family,” he added.
Luttrell said he “spent long hours of consideration” before accepting an offer from “another entity” to lead their fire department. Trustee’s chairman Dan Fletcher said Luttrell will become the fire chief for the City of Norwalk after leaving Madison.
Luttrell’s predecessor, Mark Herendeen, spent just five months on the job. Herendeen was hired after part-time fire chief David Kissel retired in 2015. Kissel succeeded Chris Niswander, who resigned in 2013.
Luttrell had no comment about why he is leaving Madison, other than what he said in his resignation letter. He also said in his letter that he hopes the extended notice of his departure will assist in tying up “loose ends” of many ongoing projects within the Madison department and will be available to help with a smooth transition to a new fire chief.
“Thanks for being with us as long as you were. You helped us get a lot of equipment,” Fletcher told Luttrell after the vote. Trustee Kathy Swank abstained from voting.
During his 40-month tenure, Luttrell obtained a $188,791 Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters grant that covered 95 percent of the cost of new firefighter turnout and safety gear and $900,000 in other FEMA grants to help pay for two new fire engines and operation and safety equipment. He also oversaw the purchase of new squad vehicles and new power cots and power lifting system using a combination of grants and low interest loans to be paid off with fire equipment levy funds.
Trustees did not discuss how they will go about looking for Luttrell’s replacement. Fletcher said he would like to defer to the chief for a recommendation as to how to move forward and make a recommendation to the full board. Trustees went through the Ohio Fire Chief’s Association to hire Luttrell.
In other business, several residents who had been critical of chip-and-seal treatments on township roads in the past said the recent work on Stewart Road was a “good job.” Trustee Swank noted that some of the coating came off Fleming Falls Road in the area of Fifth Avenue because heavy trucks used the road.
Trustees also voted to advertise for bids for culvert replacement projects on Annadale Avenue and Hanna Road that will be paid for with Ohio Public Works Commission grants. The action is pending a review of prevailing wage language and several other details by the county engineer’s office.
Trustees also accepted a $7,288 proposal from Washington Floors to replace carpeting in the township hall with vinyl plank flooring. The project will be paid for with some of the township’s share of coronavirus relief funds from the state because the new flooring will be easier to keep clean and sanitize.
A separate proposal to install touchless faucets in the two township hall restrooms was tabled in order to get clarification on the cost of one of two estimates from separate companies.
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