Staff Reports
City of Columbus Fire Chief Mike Compton has announced his plan to retire from the department in mid-July.
“As my career with the Columbus Fire Department comes to an end, it cannot be overstated that the support of the department personnel, Mayor (Jim) Lienhoop and his staff, the Columbus Common Council, the Board of Public Works and Safety, and all of the city’s departments, made the job fulfilling and satisfying,” Compton said in a statement released Tuesday.
The mayor said he and Compton worked together to name Compton’s successor. Leinhoop selected Andy Lay, currently serving as deputy chief of fire department operations, as the next fire chief.
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Lay will take over as fire chief on July 23, which is Compton’s official retirement date. He has served as the deputy chief of operations since 2016, and has served with the Columbus Fire Department since 1997.
Deputy Chief of Emergency Medical Services, Mike Kutsko, will continue to serve in his role as an executive chief officer, city officials said. Kutsko, a 23-year CFD veteran, was appointed deputy chief of emergency medical services in 2012. Lay and Kutsko will work together to select the department’s next deputy chief of operations.
Over his three decade career, Compton was promoted through the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, captain and battalion chief. He was sworn as a firefighter on Jan. 22, 1988 by former Mayor Robert Stewart. Compton was appointed fire chief on Jan. 1, 2016 by Lienhoop, and has served 31 years as a City of Columbus firefighter.
Under Compton’s leadership, the Columbus Fire Department initiated the development of the department’s most comprehensive operational guidelines and safety procedures, and expanded the department’s social media reach, city officials said. He also supported collaborative partnerships with community programs, including Safe Kids Bartholomew County, Bartholomew County TRIAD and Safe Place of Bartholomew County.
Foundation for Youth recognized the Columbus Fire Department as the 2016 Safe Place Site of the Year.
Most recently, Compton’s administration collaborated with the Bartholomew County TRIAD to become a partner agency for the Project Lifesaver program.
His dedication to the improvement of department operational service, specifically focused on safety for first responders, led to a major capital funding request to replace the department’s aging vehicle extrication rescue equipment and the refurbishment of a 20-year-old rescue vehicle, city officials said.
Compton also oversaw the development of the department’s first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle program to aid in search and rescue, hazardous materials, scene management and pre-planning.
Both of the projects were designed to be used as a mutual aid resource for all Bartholomew County agencies.
He also shared his vision to establish an improved public safety training facility to train local and regional emergency responder agencies. The training facility is under construction in the Columbus AirPark on the city’s northside after a groundbreaking last year.
“Chief Compton has a deep understanding of what a well-run fire department should look like and he worked hard to make that happen,” Lienhoop said. “He is well-respected and dedicated to the men and women who work for the Columbus Fire Department; his leadership will be missed.”
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Age: 49
Education: Bachelor of science degree in fire administration from Columbia Southern University and several fire and emergency medical services certifications.
Career: Joined the Columbus Fire Department in 1997, after serving with the Shelbyville Fire Department. Has served as CFD deputy chief of operations since 2016.
Family: Wife, Diana and three children
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