PIONEER, Ohio (WTVG) - A Thursday night apartment fire in the Village of Pioneer became the first test of the department’s staffing since more than a dozen members resigned months ago over the demotion of the assistant chief.
When the fire broke out, the Pioneer Fire Department had only its fire chief and a trainee on scene. Mutual aid was called, but former Assistant Chief Tiler Williams and his brother — who live nearby — arrived first and entered the building with fire extinguishers.
Janie DeWitt, who lives one house from the fire and whose son was asleep inside the apartment, described the moment she learned of the blaze.
“I hear a beating on my door and it’s my son saying that his apartment is on fire,” DeWitt said. “I’m just a mother and I had never seen a house fire. It’s something I never wanna see again. We got lucky this time.”
Department response draws criticism
Former Pioneer firefighter and Village of Pioneer Council Member Brock Zuver was at the scene and said the department’s response raised concerns.
“When you are talking about lives and property here — showing up with two people? That’s all you get to respond?” Zuver said. “Pioneer is not protected how it was before.”
DeWitt also described what she observed when the department arrived.
“Our truck was here, our department only had the fire chief and a trainee who stood in the road,” DeWitt said. “We are not equipped in Pioneer to handle any fire.”
DeWitt credited Williams and his brother with preventing the fire from spreading.
“They both went in with fire extinguishers from my apartment and their vehicles,” DeWitt said. “They had it under control pretty much by the time Pioneer’s fire truck got here.”
Mayor calls fire ‘a great success story’
Pioneer Mayor Ed Kidston said the department has been rebuilding since the mass resignation.
“Council was surprised when our entire fire department walked in and quit on us one night,” Kidston said. “We arranged for a new fire chief. He’s been recruiting since day one. He’s up to I think six. We are hoping for 12 by the end of the year.”
Kidston said he viewed Thursday’s outcome positively.
“As far as the fire last night, I look at last night as a great success story,” Kidston said. “No loss of life, no loss of pets. Minimal damage to the structure.”
Reinstatement of Williams seen as unlikely
Zuver said reinstating Williams could bring some firefighters back to the department but said that outcome does not appear likely. Kidston also addressed why he went through with the demotion.
“Tiler Williams is one of the finest firemen in this area — he knows his business, he’s just not a good leader,” Kidston said. “I looked at all of the bad decisions and the bad information and quite frankly the untruthfulness we were getting out of the current leadership. That’s when I said wait a minute. He’s not gonna be the assistant chief.”
Zuver said Williams’ demotion by Mayor Kidston was the catalyst for the department’s collapse.
“Tiler Williams was the assistant chief that Ed Kidston the mayor of Pioneer demoted — that caused all this,” Zuver said. “If it wasn’t for him and his brother then this would have most likely have been a multi-unit apartment fire.”