Ferrenburg
A new chief for Columbus Township Fire and Rescue could be announced by the end of April.
The Columbus Township Advisory Board on Monday unanimously affirmed Columbus Township Trustee Ben Jackson’s choice of Josh Ferrenburg to serve as interim fire chief.
Former fire chief Dave Thompson walked off the job on Feb. 26. Two days later, Jackson announced Thompson had resigned and that he had chosen Ferrenburg to fill the top administrative position on an interim basis.
Ferrenburg, a former Salem (Indiana) firefighter, worked for Columbus Township Fire and Rescue up until last year. He is the nephew of Rodney Ferrenburg, who served 11 years as fire chief until he stepped down in early 2016 to focus on his business, Columbus Collision Center.
The township wants to take both resumes and applications from qualified candidates until April 1, board members said. By asking for both a resume and an application, the board will have more information to use for background checks, the trustee said.
There is a certain process of selecting a new fire chief that the township must follow, Jackson said. However, interviews can be conducted while potential candidates are still submitting their paperwork as long as the township does not establish a cut-off date, he said.
The interviews will be headed by Tim Tibbs, president of the East Columbus Independent Fire Department, which is the formal name of Columbus Township Fire and Rescue. On behalf of Jackson, Columbus Township Advisory Board President Michael Shireman will also take part in the interviews.
Those doing the interviews will give their top three choices to Jackson, who will pick one of them to become the new chief. Jackson encouraged Ferrenburg to apply for the job permanently, the trustee said.
Board members will advertise the job opening in The Republic and on social media.
The department has five salaried employees, including the chief, eight hourly employees and a number of additional hourly and volunteer positions.
