Richmond Fire Department has hired five new members fewer than three months through 2026. That follows 14 new members hired during 2024.
When providing Richmond Common Council members a departmental update during their March 16 meeting, Chief Jeff Kinder said hiring and retention remain important issues facing the department that have robbed it of important experience.
Thirty-nine RFD members have four years of experience or less, and the average experience throughout the department is an unusually low 10.1 years, Kinder said. With that inexperience, Kinder said training and mentorship is critical. Last year, members received training in rope rescue, confined space rescue and hazardous materials.
“They’re so young, and we throw so much at them,” Kinder said. “It’s tough.”
The department handled 10,916 runs during 2025, a drop of four from 2024. Emergency medical services accounted for 79% of the calls, with 235 fire incidents. Twenty-one of the fires were residential structures and 15 were passenger vehicles.
Mental health-related calls have significantly increased, Kinder said. The department responded to 333 suicide threats, 215 mental/emotional people and 235 welfare checks during 2025. Mental/emotional calls have increased 40.5% since 2022 and welfare checks have increased 40.7% in the same time. Overdose calls, however, dropped 54.3% from 2022 to 113 in 2025.
Among 2025 highlights were the promotion of Kelsey Long, the department’s first female lieutenant, and Gabe Morris becoming a fifth-generation RFD member.
Tax abatement extension
Liberation BioIndustries has requested the city extend a 24-month project completion timeline for two tax abatements it received.
Completion of the precision fermentation plant is now expected by the end of the year. Hiring is expected to ramp up the second quarter of the year to ensure full staffing for the plant’s opening. The company anticipated hiring 45 positions when the tax abatements were awarded.
Liberation BioIndustries received a five-year personal property tax abatement in 2023 and a 10-year real estate abatement in 2024.
The two ordinances were referred to council’s tax abatement committee.
Uranus zoning request
Uranus 3 Land LLC has petitioned the city to rezone the parcel at 6412 National Road E. from institutional to general commercial. The request was referred to the March 25 Richmond Advisory Plan Commission meeting for a hearing and recommendation.
Uranus Fudge Factory and General Store would like to expand the retail and entertainment offerings at its location on the northeast corner of the Interstate 70 and U.S. 40 interchange.
Recycling appropriation
Richmond Sanitary District has requested appropriation of $250,000 earmarked as match money for a grant to replace recycling equipment.
Pat Smoker, director of the sanitary district, said the money was not used last year because there was not time to award bids for the two pieces of equipment. Therefore, the money must again be appropriated this year.
The issue was referred to council’s finance committee, and a public hearing is planned for council’s April 6 meeting.
Meeting time
Council member Larry Parker spoke against council moving its meeting time ahead an hour from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Parker said the time was chosen so those working a full day could make the meeting. He noted that finance committee meets an hour before council’s meeting, and that would be 5 p.m., the end of many work days. The earlier meeting time, Parker said, could prevent people with jobs from pursuing election to council.
Council member Doug Goss said he works until 5 p.m. and also opposes moving up the meeting time.
Justin Burkhardt, council’s president, asked members to send him their time preferences.
A version of this article appeared in the March 25 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.