WELLSVILLE, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Public Safety stressed the importance of having a current certification to practice legally after news surfaced about a fire chief’s expired certification.
WTOV reported that residents of the village of Wellsville were shocked to hear that Fire Chief Bill Smith’s certification expired in 2009. Ohio requires its firefighters renew their certifications once every three years.
The station reported that some residents are concerned that business fire inspections that Chief Smith signed off on are now invalid.
“I’m a registered nurse; every two years, I have to recertify my license. I have a certain amount of education I have to do, and I’m in the business of saving lives just like he is, so there is no real reason why he shouldn’t be held up to the same standards of the rest of us that have to hold a certification,” Ray Mohney said.
Others in the village believe Chief Smith is capable of doing his job, regardless of the expired certification, according to the report.
“I feel like he knows his job. We got a pretty good fire department,” Bill Burgess said.
Residents say they think the village needs to keep better tabs on certification of all its firefighters, according to the report.
Chief Smith was advised of his status by the executive director of EMS and has been given the steps that are needed to re-certify, according to the report.