The Athens Fire Department has fewer firefighters than they need to manage the number of calls it receives per year. The AFD is understaffed, but does not take volunteers, only paid positions.
There are two fire stations in Athens, with the main headquarters located at 120 E. Stimson Ave. and the station house located at 454 Richland Ave.
Robert Rymer has been the fire chief for the department for over 12 years. He wrote in an email that more staffing is a necessity for the department, but staffing comes with obstacles.
“We are the only FD in the city of Athens protecting 100% of all properties,” Rymer said in an email. “There are two PDs (OUPD and APD). Needless to say, we need a lot more staffing. The question is, how do we get there with limited funding and ever-rising costs.”
According to Rymer, there are two stations but since the staffing numbers are so low, both stations respond to about 95% of calls together. This is because there are typically only about four people on duty at any given time.
Rymer said if the call regards a carbon monoxide detector going off or there is no indication an individual is hurt, then only one truck will respond, but both stations respond to fire alarms.
“If we have an alarm somewhere, an alarm is usually a precursor to a fire, or we don't know what it is, so we send everybody,” Rymer said in an email. “So that's usually all four or six people that are on duty; both stations respond to it.
Rymer commented on the increased call volume since 1997.
“Call volume in 1997 was 564; we are on pace to break 1,500 runs this year,” Rymer said in an email. “Another record year.”
This does not mean that all the projected 1,500 runs are from Ohio University fire alarms. However, Rymer said roughly 40% of calls on a five-year average are from OU buildings.
Rymer also said in the email that despite the number of calls increasing drastically, the number of staff members has not.
“We have the same staffing today as we did in the 1970s,” Rymer said in an email.
Rymer mentioned how the increased size of Athens has brought an additional need for more firefighters, citing staffing studies conducted for the department.
“We have had two staffing studies performed,” Rymer said in an email. “One in 1997 stated a minimum daily staffing of 10 FFs (firefighters) and three stations were needed. The second, in 2024, stated that a minimum of 13 FFs per day were needed. Since 1997, the city has grown from 7.5 sq miles to approximately 10.5 today. We have gone from 10.5M feet of building footprint to more than 23M today.”
Former OU Student Senate President Dan Gordillo proposed a bill in spring 2023 that would add a $50 fee for every student each semester, which they could opt out of, and would go to the fire department to support their staff.
The bill and the information surrounding it were covered in a previous article by The Post when it was proposed in 2023.
“After several discussions with Chief Reimer, I had begun to seriously appreciate the dire situation that the Athens Fire Department was in, and out of what I felt was out of necessity,” Gordillo said. “I did not want somebody to get hurt because there are four firefighters on shift for a dorm hall that houses hundreds of people. So, I felt compelled to do something.”
Gordillo said the majority of OU students were in favor of the fee, especially knowing they could opt in or out depending on their preference. While it took contentious debate within the Senate, the bill was eventually passed but later shot down by the university administration.
OU offers and maintains fixed tuition and fees established at enrollment, meaning students’ tuition and fees will not change throughout their time at the university, according to the OU website.
During a meeting with OU administration, Gordillo was told the university already gives money to the fire department. The $50,000 they give yearly, however, is solely for fire trucks. Gordillo said the $50,000 is not enough to help contribute to fire truck costs, which each typically cost over $1 million.
Additionally, Gordillo reminded the administration that the money collected from the student fee would be specifically designated for the department staff, allowing them to hire more firefighters.
Rymer said he appreciated the previous effort attempted by students regarding the bill, stating the approximate $2 million a year it would have generated would have allowed the department to hire 10 more firefighters.
Liana Woods, deputy auditor for the City of Athens, disagreed with claims the fire department is short-staffed.
“They're fully staffed at the moment as to what they're allowed per council,” Woods said. “Now, of course, there could be times when firefighters are out for military duty, or some type of a leave, parental leave, for example, or injury leave, things of that type.”
According to the fire department’s 2025 annual report, six firefighters can retire in 2026.
Woods mentioned potentially hiring more firefighters in the future if the need is shown.
“If there is a need for a firefighter or maybe a code enforcement officer, whatever the position may be, the administration can fill that position if they feel that it is needed,” Woods said. “We have not stopped filling positions for police and fire.”
Rymer said if he could leave one message to students, it is to immediately leave buildings when an alarm goes off.
“Every time the alarm goes off, please get out of the building,” Rymer said in an email. “Four firefighters are not going to be able to rescue 590 people out of McDavis Hall. It is just impossible. We're going for the fire to try and take care of the problem, and it's going to be a while before we get people there. So you may not know it's a fire. So please get out of the building every single time the alarm goes off."
