Columbus fire academy to be named for former Safety Director Ned Pettus

The Columbus Division of Fire is formally dedicating the academy in honor of the department's first Black chief and recently retired Safety Director Ned Pettus.

As of Tuesday, the academy will formally be known as the "Dr. Ned Pettus Jr. Fire Training Academy."

Pettus retired as the city's safety director in 2021 after a career of more than 40 years in public service.

Pettus is a lifelong Columbus resident, graduating from Linden-McKinley High School. He joined the Division of Fire in 1977.

In 2002, Pettus was named the city's first Black fire chief, a position he held for 10 years. He was named the city's safety director in 2016.

During his tenure as safety director, Pettus appointed the first female assistant fire chief, the first external police chief and oversaw the creation of the Civilian Police Review Board and the Office of the Inspector General. He also oversaw the creation of cadet programs for police and fire that have helped those interested in careers in public safety to start their career sooner.

"Director Pettus was a guiding force in the effort to strengthen and improve our city's most essential services," Mayor Andrew J. Ginther said in a statement. "He implemented changes and reforms that resulted in safety forces that better reflect and serve our community."

A formal dedication ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the academy, located at 3639 Parsons Ave. The ceremony will be streamed online on the city's YouTube page.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus fire academy to be named for ex-Safety Director Ned Pettus