A Lorain County community is hoping to get ahead of potential growing pains. Columbia Township’s fire department is expanding in tandem with its growing population.
“We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve to protect the people in the community,” explained fire chief Ray Anthony.
During his nearly 50-year tenure, the chief has witnessed the department’s evolution.
“When we were totally volunteer, you just crossed your fingers and hoped someone would show up when the call cam out,” he described.
A Growing Fire Department
The staff transitioned from volunteer to part-time. Then, in 2022, voters approved a levy that allows the township to hire its first full-time firefighter/paramedic. In October 2024, three full-time members joined the team. Two of these individuals have since left for other departments.
This month, the township took another step toward expanding fire services. It hired six full-time firefighters, including one who had been part-time for over 20 years and will start work on Tuesday.
The additions will allow the department to have two full-time and one part-time firefighter per shift. An administrative officer will also work 48 hours per week on the day shift.
Population boom
The changes come as Columbia Township experiences rapid growth. Since 2010, the township’s population has increased by more than a quarter.
Most of that growth has occurred in the last five years, with a more than 19% increase since 2020.
Anthony reported that the population shift has been accompanied by a 20% increase in medical calls in recent years.
“The call volume has definitely increased over the time period,” said Colleen Mackenzie, a part-time firefighter with the department for eight years.
There are few signs that growth will slow in the coming years. Every year, new developments add hundreds of new homes.
“As we got older, we didn’t want the yardwork, and we really liked the community they’re building here,” said Holly Ursem, who moved to the newly built 55+ neighborhood “Del Webb” last June.
When completed, the development is expected to add over 600 new homes to the township. Ursem stated that the township’s newest residents value emergency services growing alongside the community.
“They’ll have to keep up because they’re way ahead of schedule. Our in-laws are actually moving in here, two streets down. “They’re closing on their house two weeks early,” she explained. “It’s going to be booming here.”
FUTURE GROWTH
Anthony stated that the township has already secured two additional parcels of land that could be used to build new fire stations if the growing population requires it. He also hopes to hire several more full-time employees in the coming years.
He explained that having more full-time staff leads to faster response times and a safer community.
“Just the quick response of [staff] being here really accelerates what we can save and do,” he told me. “The quicker we get there with definitive care, the better someone’s outcome is.”
