7 Butler County firefighters apply to be next Liberty Twp. fire chief

Liberty Twp. has received 28 applications for its fire chief position, but only six people will be called in for interviews in the first round.

Liberty Twp. Administrator Kristen Bitonte said she plans to bring in six of the applicants for interviews.

Of the 28, seven applicants are fire professionals working for Butler County fire departments:

  • Jeffrey Capano, firefighter/EMS, West Chester Twp. Fire Department
  • Randall Hanifen, shift commander, West Chester Twp. Fire Department
  • David Pickering, assistant fire chief of administration, West Chester Twp. Fire Department
  • Stephen Ludwig, captain, Middletown Fire Department
  • Matthew Schumann, assistant chief of operations, Fairfield Twp. Fire Department
  • Brian Ruhl, command officer, Hamilton Fire Department
  • Johnny Mason, fire lieutenant, Liberty Twp. Fire Department

Other Ohio applicants are:

  • Darian Edwards, shift commander, Colerain Twp. Fire Department
  • Ralph Hammonds, Jr., former fire chief, Sharonville Fire Department
  • Kerry Meyer, fire chief, St. Bernard Fire Department
  • David Greve, fire district chief, Cincinnati Fire Department
  • J. Anthony Lehman, firefighter/paramedic, Cincinnati Fire Department
  • Edward Von Lehmden, deputy chief, North College Hill Fire Department
  • Douglas Witsken, fire chief, Green Twp. Fire Department
  • Ethan Klussman, battalion chief, Kettering Fire Department
  • Scott Kujawa, deputy chief, Washington Twp. Fire Department
  • Patrick Lemming, supervisor, Ohio Fire Academy (Reynoldsburg)
  • Richard Fletcher, fire chief, Westfield Fire Department
  • Dean Ortlieb, EMS and fire instructor, Tolles Career & Technical Center (Plain City)
  • Russell Thompson, fire chief, Greenville Fire Department
  • Joseph Warner, shift commander, Garfield Heights Fire Department
  • Stephen Langstaff, various positions, Ohio Task Force

Out-of-state applicants are:

  • Roger Boswell, Jr., fire captain, The Boeing Company Fire Department; Mount Vernon, Wash.
  • Charles Cavarra, former fire chief; Garden City, N.Y.
  • Kenneth Dobson, director of safety and security; School District of Lee County, Fla.
  • Scott Lewis, division chief, Gresham Fire Department; Gresham, Ore.
  • David Nichols, program manager, Moran Environmental Recovery LLC; Randolph, Mass.
  • Robert Wood, battalion chief, Clay Fire Territory Fire Department; South Bend, Ind.

One applicant submitted a 10-page resume but didn’t include a name

MORE: Longtime Liberty Twp. fire chief to retire

Current Liberty Twp. Fire Chief Paul Stumpf announced his retirement after 45 years with the township last September, he gave the trustees a year to find his replacement. He has agreed to stay a little longer to get the new chief acclimated.

The trustees originally hired the Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association to find them a chief, but they were not happy with that search. Only 19 people submitted applications the first time around.

MORE: $12,000 search by Fire Chiefs’ Association leaves Liberty Twp. trustees empty handed

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