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STATE FIRE MARSHAL RECEIVES DESIGNATION

 

Ohio Fire Academy and Two Ohio Fire Departments also Recognized

 

State Fire Marshal Robert R. Rielage recently become one of the first fire officers in the nation to be awarded the professional designation of "Chief Fire Officer." The honor was only bestowed upon 16 fire chiefs internationally at a conference in Dallas, Texas recently. The conference, hosted by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, also recognized the Ohio Fire Academy with an award for excellence.

The Chief Fire Officer Designation Program is designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate their excellence in seven measured components including: experience, education, professional development, professional contributions, association membership, community involvement and technical competencies.

Marshal Rielage has been a member of Ohio’s fire service for over 29 years. Prior to his appointment as State Fire Marshal in 1999, he served as Assistant Chief of customer service for the Colerain Township Department of Fire and EMS. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Norwich University and is a contract instructor at the National Fire Academy. Rielage is a frequent contributing author to fire service journals and magazines and is a nationally recognized lecturer on customer service and change management.

The Ohio Fire Academy, part of the State Fire Marshal’s office, received the Award For Excellence for its "Feel the Heat" program. This innovative program was designed to orient local, county and state officials to the rigors of the fire service. To date, more than 200 officials across Ohio have attended "Feel the Heat" sessions at the Fire Marshal’s facility in Reynoldsburg. Officials complete a day-long program, which combines classroom instruction and realistic training. They don firefighter protective clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus to conduct search and rescue operations in a darkened maze. They also use fire extinguishers and a variety of hoses to put out small fires in an outdoor training area. Additionally, participants view an auto extrication exercise, take part in a ladder truck demonstration and receive hands-on training and exposure to other firefighting operations.

Two Ohio fire departments were also recognized at the conference. The Colerain Township Fire Department (just outside of Cincinnati), which won the Award For Excellence in 1997, won the Award of the Decade. The Shaker Heights Fire Department (located in the Cleveland area) became the first fire department in Ohio to be accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. For more information about the specifics of each award, please contact the respective department.

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