Columbus fire stations face hazardous conditions

Columbus fire officials said on May 15 that part of a ceiling collapsed inside Fire Station 18 on the city’s east side after years of maintenance complaints, intensifying scrutiny of conditions inside firehouses across the city. No one was hurt when debris fell into a bunk room, but caution tape remained around parts of the building as repairs were arranged, according to WBNS-10TV. Fire officials told the station that 58 work orders tied to conditions at Station 18 had been submitted during the past three years. The collapse has added to a broader fight between city leaders and the firefighters’ union over staffing, equipment and facilities. ### What failed at Station 18? Station 18, at 1630 Cleveland Avenue, is identified on the city’s website as the Herbert F. Turner South Linden Fire Station and was built in 2006. The city says the station houses Engine 18, Medic 18, EMS 13 and Command 18. 10TV reported on May 15 that a section of ceiling fell into a bunk room at Station 18 earlier that week. (10tv.com) Fire officials told the station that no firefighters were inside the room when the collapse happened. The station had logged 58 work orders over three years related to conditions there, according to the report. (columbus.gov) ### Who is saying the problem goes beyond one ceiling collapse? Steve Stein, president of IAFF Local 67, told 10TV that station leaders had been warning about the building’s condition for some time. Stein credited Captain Farley and his predecessors for repeatedly raising concerns and said workplace safety and maintenance should be a priority for first responders. “What we’re dealing with now is a lot of issues that weren’t dealt with a couple of years ago,” Stein said, according to 10TV. (10tv.com) IAFF Local 67 has been publicly pressing the city on other operational issues as well. In a separate May 11 report, 10TV said the union, which it described as representing more than 1,700 firefighters, warned that reduced engine staffing could slow response times. Stein told the station that four-person staffing is the “golden standard,” while city officials said temporary daytime three-person staffing has long been used to cover training, sick leave and vacancies. (10tv.com) ### What have city officials said about the station conditions? Mayor Andrew Ginther called the Station 18 collapse “completely and totally unacceptable,” according to 10TV. Ginther said the city had already been in the process of accepting bids for repairs before the ceiling gave way and said officials would act quickly now that bidding had closed. He also said the city would review conditions at fire stations across Columbus as part of future capital budget discussions. (10tv.com) City records show Station 18 has also been included in earlier capital work. A Columbus legislative file for a 2025 ordinance said the scope of a roof-design contract included Fire Stations 5, 12, 18, 19, 22 and 27, along with other public-safety properties. ### How does this fit into the wider dispute over fire resources? NBC4 reported in March 2025 that the Columbus Division of Fire and the union were already disputing whether the department had enough vehicles and funding. (10tv.com) The station reported that a training session was canceled after recruits, cadets and apprentice members were left with only three outdated vehicles, and cited city records showing the division had $7.518 million budgeted each year for vehicle replacement or facility updates through 2030. (columbus.legistar.com) NBC4 also reported that a 2024 fleet analysis found manufacturing prices had risen 45% each year while the fleet budget had risen 26%. Columbus fire officials have also been dealing with a heavy incident load. NBC4 reported on May 9 that nine people had died in Columbus fires in the first four months of 2026, compared with eight in all of 2025, citing Lt. Nicholas Davis. ### What happens next? Ginther said on May 15 that the city hopes Station 18 repairs can move forward quickly now that bids have closed. (nbc4i.com) He also said conditions at other fire stations will be part of future capital budget discussions. The next public marker for that debate is likely to come through Columbus budget and council proceedings, where fire facility spending and related legislation are posted. (10tv.com) (nbc4i.com)