Richmond Fire Chief outlines staffing gains, training needs and changing call mix
March 17, 2026 | Richmond City, Wayne County, Indiana
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Chief Kinder presented the Richmond Fire Department's 2025 annual report and answered council questions about staffing, training and call trends.
In his prepared remarks, the chief said the department hired 14 personnel in 2025 and five so far in 2026 — 27 hires over 24 months — and noted a historic low average length of service (about 10.1 years). He said 79% of call volume is EMS and reported a total of 10,916 runs in 2025 (a small decline from 10,920 in 2024). The department has seen a 25% reduction in overdose calls in 2024 and a 54% decline since 2022, while confirmed fire calls rose from 158 in 2024 to 235 in 2025.
The chief described expanded training: rope-rescue, confined-space, hazmat technician training with outside instructors, 14 new hazmat techs, and 12 graduates of Fire 1 & 2 classes plus seven paramedic graduates in 2025. He said the department added a swift-water inflatable boat and reboxed an ambulance; capital improvements to stations included parking-lot work, door replacements and other repairs.
Councilors asked about passage rates for specialty classes (chief said nine of 18 passed rope-rescue) and average EMS response time; the chief said he would provide response-time data pulled from dispatch. Councilors and the chief emphasized retention challenges linked to mandatory overtime and the department's reliance on early-career personnel and internal “truck trainers” for ongoing instruction.
The chief said the department hopes to be fully staffed by the summer and that a merit commission should be finalized by the end of the month.
Ending: Chief Kinder thanked the council and said he would supply requested EMS response-time figures.
In his prepared remarks, the chief said the department hired 14 personnel in 2025 and five so far in 2026 — 27 hires over 24 months — and noted a historic low average length of service (about 10.1 years). He said 79% of call volume is EMS and reported a total of 10,916 runs in 2025 (a small decline from 10,920 in 2024). The department has seen a 25% reduction in overdose calls in 2024 and a 54% decline since 2022, while confirmed fire calls rose from 158 in 2024 to 235 in 2025.
The chief described expanded training: rope-rescue, confined-space, hazmat technician training with outside instructors, 14 new hazmat techs, and 12 graduates of Fire 1 & 2 classes plus seven paramedic graduates in 2025. He said the department added a swift-water inflatable boat and reboxed an ambulance; capital improvements to stations included parking-lot work, door replacements and other repairs.
Councilors asked about passage rates for specialty classes (chief said nine of 18 passed rope-rescue) and average EMS response time; the chief said he would provide response-time data pulled from dispatch. Councilors and the chief emphasized retention challenges linked to mandatory overtime and the department's reliance on early-career personnel and internal “truck trainers” for ongoing instruction.
The chief said the department hopes to be fully staffed by the summer and that a merit commission should be finalized by the end of the month.
Ending: Chief Kinder thanked the council and said he would supply requested EMS response-time figures.
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