Title
To Recognize Fire Chief Jeffrey Happ in Honor of his 32 years of Distinguished Service with the Columbus Division of Fire
Body
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Columbus recognizes that the safety, wellbeing, and resilience of our community depend in no small part on the professionalism, readiness, and courage of the members of the Columbus Division of Fire; and
WHEREAS, Fire Chief Jeffrey Happ has devoted more than three decades to public service, beginning his career with the Columbus Division of Fire as a firefighter in 1993 and working his way through the ranks in service to the residents of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, throughout his tenure, Chief Happ demonstrated steady leadership and operational excellence, earning promotions to Lieutenant in 1998, Captain in 2003, Battalion Chief in 2014, and Assistant Chief in 2018, and serving in the key assignment of Battalion Commander of the Fire and Explosives Investigative Unit; and
WHEREAS, on May 28, 2020, Jeffrey Happ was appointed to serve as Interim Fire Chief of the Columbus Division of Fire, and on February 9, 2021, he was named the permanent Fire Chief, accepting the responsibility to lead a department of approximately 1,650 dedicated firefighters and paramedics; and
WHEREAS, Chief Happ’s leadership occurred during a period of extraordinary operational demands on emergency services, including the COVID-19 pandemic era and continuing pressures on fire and emergency medical response systems; and
WHEREAS, Chief Happ was widely recognized for advancing efforts to strengthen a culture of professionalism, accountability, and inclusion within the Division, and for supporting recruitment and workforce development initiatives intended to better reflect and serve the diverse communities of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, Chief Happ was instrumental in organizing the Division’s first Fire Cadet Class, a program designed to introduce civilian students to firefighting and create additional pathways into careers in ...
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