Central Townships Joint Fire District

05/12/2026

Central Townships Joint Fire District and the Madison County Emergency Medical District responded to a two-vehicle injury crash at the intersection of State Route 56 and the Interstate 70 westbound on-ramp today.

One patient was transported from the scene to The Ohio State University Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment.

Due to the time of day and heavy traffic volume, a significant traffic backup occurred in the area. Chief 291 and Engine 293 remained on scene to assist our partners from the Ohio State Highway Patrol with traffic control operations until both Madison County Emergency Medical District units were able to clear the scene.

We would like to remind motorists to slow down, remain alert, and use caution when approaching emergency scenes and stopped vehicles along the roadway.

Units responding included:
• Chief 291
• Engine 293
• Medic 282
• Medic 284
• Ohio State Highway Patrol

05/06/2026

Water Rescue Assist – State Route 38 🚨

Today, Central Townships Joint Fire District units Boat 293, Engine/Tanker 293 assisted law enforcement and Flynn’s Towing with a vehicle recovery on State Route 38, just south of Plumwood.

Upon arrival, crews found a vehicle that had become fully submerged in the creek. Assistant Chief Chamberlain and Captain Fultz donned dry suits and safely entered the water to secure the vehicle. Once rigged, Flynn’s Towing was able to successfully remove it from the creek.

This incident is a great example of training and teamwork paying off. Assistant Chief Chamberlain regularly conducts water rescue training for our personnel, and that preparation showed today with a smooth and efficient operation.

✅ No injuries were reported
✅ Operation completed safely and effectively

Great work by all agencies involved.

04/23/2026

Engine 291, Engine 292 and Engine 293 crews took advantage of the nice weather  today and practiced low visibility search and rescue at Station 293.

04/16/2026

04/16/2026

New Engine 292 update.

Chief Bennington and Assistant Chief Chamberlain have spent the last four days in South Dakota working with All American Fire Equipment on the final stages of our new apparatus build. This project has been nearly two years in the making, and it’s great to see everything coming together after extensive planning and preparation back home.

From design to build, this process takes time, coordination, and attention to detail—but that’s what ensures our firefighters have the best equipment possible to serve our community.

We’re proud to share that this new Engine 292 will be placed in service at Station 292 in Paint Township, strengthening our response capabilities in that area and across the district.

We also want to recognize the outstanding work by the sales and service team at All American Fire. Their professionalism and commitment to getting things right has made this a great partnership from start to finish.

We appreciate the continued partnership and look forward to bringing Engine 292 home and putting it to work for our community. Stay tuned for more updates!

04/11/2026

MADISON COUNTY LEPC FULL-SCALE EXERCISE

Today, a large-scale Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) exercise was conducted at Nissen Chemitec in the City of London, simulating a hazardous materials chemical leak and mass casualty incident.

This coordinated training brought together multiple agencies across Madison County, including:
• London Fire Division
• Central Township Joint Fire District
• Madison County Emergency Medical District
• London Police Department
• Madison County Sheriff’s Office
• Madison County Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
• Madison Health
• Madison Public Health
• Madison County Engineer’s Office
• City of London Safety Services Director

A special thank you goes out to the students from the Tolles Technical Program (Law Enforcement) who volunteered their Saturday to serve as victims, as well as community members who acted as family members, workers, and media personnel. Their participation played a critical role in testing real-world response capabilities.

This exercise, required by the State of Ohio, is designed to evaluate and strengthen our county’s ability to respond to hazardous material incidents and protect our community.

🔹 Exercise Highlights:
• 15 simulated employees rescued from the structure
• 6 critically injured patients transported to Madison Health
• Full decontamination operations conducted prior to hospital evaluation
• Unified command and interagency coordination tested in real-time

This event has been over two years in the making, led by EMA Director Holly Langham and Central Township Joint Fire District Chief Brian S. Bennington. Their dedication ensured a realistic and challenging scenario that pushed all participating agencies.

We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to Nissen Chemitec for their outstanding partnership over the past two years. Their willingness to open their facility, involve their staff, and support this exercise is a true example of how local businesses and public safety agencies can work together to strengthen community preparedness.

Training like this ensures that when a real emergency happens, we are ready.

Today’s efforts made every participating agency stronger and better prepared to serve the citizens of Madison County.

📸 Photo Credit: Kennedy Bennington

Chief Brian S. Bennington
Central Township Joint Fire Distri

04/08/2026

Mutual Aid Response – Amazon Facility Fire

The Central Township Joint Fire District responded on mutual aid with the Jefferson Township Fire Department for a working structure fire at the Amazon facility in Jefferson Township.

Responding Units:
• Chief 291
• Engine 291

Engine 291 was assigned to supply water to Norwich Township’s ladder company, ensuring a sustained and reliable water source for suppression operations.

Chief 291 was assigned to Interior Operations, overseeing fire suppression efforts on the 4th floor where fire had extended after dropping down from the roof area where initial fire attack operations began.

Interior crews from:
• Norwich Township
• Central Township
• City of London
• Jefferson Township
• Prairie Township

These crews worked together in a coordinated fire attack and overhaul, bringing the interior fire under control quickly and efficiently.

Thanks to strong teamwork and communication, the fire was contained both on the roof and within the interior in a timely manner.

No firefighter injuries were reported during this incident.

Outstanding work by all agencies involved—this is what mutual aid and coordinated operations are all about.

Chief Brian S. Bennington

03/12/2026

Traffic Alert – Somerford Township

Emergency crews responded to a three-vehicle crash involving two semi trucks and one pickup truck this morning on Interstate 70 eastbound in Somerford Township.

Units from the Central Township Joint Fire District responded with Chief 291, Engine 291, and Engine 293 on an extended MVA response. Madison County Emergency Medical District also responded, providing EMS coverage with Medic 284.

Crews arrived on scene, secured the vehicles, and evaluated the occupants involved in the crash. One individual sustained injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Fortunately, no hazardous materials were involved in the incident.

At this time, the I-70 eastbound ramp from State Route 56 remains closed while crews continue clearing the scene and ensuring the roadway is safe for travel. The ramp is expected to reopen within approximately the next hour.

Motorists are asked to use caution in the area and follow directions from emergency personnel while traveling through the scene.

Please remember to slow down and move over for emergency responders working on Ohio roadways.

02/26/2026

Yesterday, February 25, the Central Townships Joint Fire District was dispatched to a commercial structure fire at 3180 Davis Road in Union Township. What our crews encountered upon arrival was a very difficult and heartbreaking incident.

This fire occurred at a large commercial hog farm consisting of four barns housing approximately 7,500 head of hogs. First-arriving units were met with heavy smoke and fire conditions coming from the opposite side of the barn complex. Crews quickly deployed multiple handlines and utilized an aerial device in an aggressive attempt to cut the fire off and protect the remaining structures.

Unfortunately, sustained winds of 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph significantly impacted suppression efforts. The fire was gaining ground faster than crews could contain it. After four long hours of coordinated operations, the fire was brought under control by fire service personnel from four different counties.

Despite the valiant efforts of everyone involved, three of the four barns were lost, along with approximately 6,000 head of hogs. Firefighters were able to successfully save one barn and approximately 1,500 head of hogs.

I would like to personally thank the property owners and managers who remained on scene and provided critical insight into the layout and construction of the barns, which greatly assisted in our operational decisions.

I also want to recognize the incredible support of the farming community throughout Madison and Clark Counties. Multiple farmers responded with water trucks to assist with water supply operations. Rural Ohio’s agricultural community is tight-knit, and they truly step up when one of their own is in need.

Most importantly, I am thankful to report that no fire service personnel, employees, or civilians were injured during fire suppression operations.

We could not have managed this incident without the tremendous support of our mutual aid partners:

Central Townships Joint Fire District
Chief 291
Engine 291
Tanker 291
Engine 292
Tanker 292
Grass 292
Tanker 293

City of London Fire Division
Chief 360
Engine 361
Quint 361

Tri-County Joint Fire District
Chief 491
Engine 491
Tanker 491

Range Township Fire
Tanker 341

Jefferson Township Fire
Engine 252
Tanker 251

Stokes Township Fire
Engine 351
Tanker 354

Pleasant Valley Joint Fire District
Tanker 261
Rescue 261
Prevention 263

Prairie Township (Franklin County) – Engine 243

Pleasant Township (Franklin County) - Tanker 231

Marysville Division of Fire (Union County)
Tanker 271

Bloomingburg Fire (Fayette County)
Tanker 541

Scioto Township (PickawayCounty)
Tanker

Silvercreek Township Fire (Green County)
Tanker 41

Cedarville Township Fire (Green County )
Chief 11, Tanker 11

Madison Township (Clark County)
Air 77

Jefferson Township (Fayette County )

Box 65 - Pickaway County

Madison County EMA

Clark County EMA

Multiple units from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office

Madison County Emergency Medical District
Medic 282
Medic 284

Please keep the business owners, their employees, and their families in your thoughts and prayers. This is a devastating loss for them and for the agricultural community in Madison County.

Chief Brian S. Bennington

02/25/2026

PRESS RELEASE

Working Commercial Structure Fire – Fine Oak Farms

3180 Davis Road SW | Union Township | Madison County, Ohio

Date of Incident: February 25, 2026

Initial Dispatch: 11:56 AM

The Central Townships Joint Fire District was dispatched at 11:56 AM to a reported barn fire at Fine Oak Farms, located at 3180 Davis Road Southwest in Union Township, Madison County, Ohio.

Initial responding units included Engine 291, Engine 292, and Chief 291. While responding, Chief Bennington observed a large column of smoke visible from a distance and notified Dispatch to upgrade the incident to a working commercial structure fire, requesting additional resources.

Upon arrival, crews encountered a large farm complex utilized for hog production. The facility consisted of five large agricultural buildings, two of which were heavily involved in fire upon initial arrival. Due to the size and complexity of the incident, multiple mutual aid companies were requested, including:

Two ladder trucks

Ten tanker trucks

Additional suppression units

A third alarm assignment

Firefighters faced extremely challenging conditions throughout the incident. Sustained winds of approximately 20 miles per hour, with gusts reaching up to 35 miles per hour, significantly accelerated fire spread and complicated suppression efforts. These high winds made it extremely difficult to contain forward fire progression and created rapidly changing fire behavior conditions across the large agricultural complex.

Crews worked diligently and tirelessly for approximately five hours to bring the fire under control. The operation required extensive water-shuttle operations due to rural water-supply limitations in the area.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported.

Unfortunately, the fire resulted in catastrophic damage to the business. A significant portion of the agricultural structures were destroyed. Of the approximately 7,500 hogs housed at the facility, an estimated 6,000 were lost in the fire.

The fire is currently under investigation by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office to determine the cause and origin. At this time, there is no suspicion of arson and no ongoing threat to the general public.

Davis Road has been reopened to traffic. Units from the Central Townships Joint Fire District will remain on scene and in the immediate area overnight to monitor and extinguish any remaining hotspots.

For additional information or media inquiries, please contact:

Chief Brian S. Bennington
Central Townships Joint Fire District
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 937-360-9308