NED PETTUS, JR.
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Fire Chief Ned Pettus, Jr. |
Ned Pettus, Jr. joined the Columbus Division of Fire on
January 24, 1977. After graduating from the Division’s
Training Academy, he was assigned to the Engine Company at
Station 19, which serves the Clintonville area, and Engine
18 in the Linden area.
He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1988, and was
assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau, where he supervised
the public assembly and school inspections. Following his
promotion to Captain in 1991, Pettus, under the direction of
Fire Chief H.J. Dutko, wrote and developed the standard
operating procedures for the Division’s Fire Investigation
Unit, now known as the Professional Standards Unit. Pettus
served as the unit’s first Commander.
In August of 1993, Pettus was promoted to the rank of
Battalion Chief and served as the Battalion Chief Relief
Officer on 1-Unit. One year later, he was assigned to
Battalion 2, 3-Unit. In March of 1997, he was promoted to
the rank of Deputy Chief and served as the Commander of the
Division’s Emergency Services on 3-Unit.
Pettus was promoted to Assistant Chief in January, 2001, and
was placed in charge of the Division’s Fire Prevention
Bureau.
On March 26, 2002, Chief Pettus was officially appointed as
the City’s twentieth {20th} Fire Chief and the first
African-American to attain that rank. In March of 2007,
Chief Pettus was reappointed to his second term as Fire
Chief.
On January 16, 2008, Fire Chief Pettus achieved a personal
and professional milestone in his career and was designated
as a “Chief Fire Officer” (CFO) by the Commission on
Professional Credentialing. Chief Pettus demonstrated that
he possessed the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities
required for the fire and emergency services profession
through his education, leadership and management skills.
In addition to his regular duties, Pettus is a member of the
Division’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team and a
member of the Ohio Task Force 1, Federal Urban and Rescue
Team’s Advisory Committee. He was previously a member of the
Division’s Fire Fighters Against Drugs Program and also
served as the Vice-Chairman on the Division’s Awards
Committee.
In 1993, Senator Ben Espy of the Ohio Senate, and State
Representative Charleta Tavares of the Ohio House of
Representatives recognized Pettus for his continued service
and dedication to the fire service. During that year, he
also received a service acknowledgement award from T. Grooms
and Associates. In 1997, he was awarded the Achievement of
Excellence Award from the Columbus African American
Firefighters Association, and he is listed among the new
millennium leaders by publisher C. Sunny Martin in “Who’s
Who in Black Central Ohio” (The New Millennium Edition).
Pettus is a graduate of Linden McKinley High School and
graduated Summa cum Laude from Capital University with a
bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public
Administration. In addition, he graduated from Central
Michigan University with a Masters of Science in
Administration. He attended the prestigious Harvard
University, Kennedy School of Government, Executive
Education and was awarded a certificate of completion for
the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program,
June 2007. He is also a graduate of the Leadership Columbus
Program and served as a recruitment coordinator for the
Columbus Literacy Council’s Volunteer Tutor Program. He is
an active member of the Columbus Urban League, Columbus
Metropolitan Club and is a member of the Mt. Hermon
Missionary Baptist Church.
In October 2002, Pettus was appointed to the Board of
Directors of the J. Ashburn Youth Center. He currently
serves as a co-chairman of the Policy Committee. He also
serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Simon Kenton
Council Urban Scouting Program with the Boy Scouts of
America. In 2002, Pettus received the 2002 Silver Knight of
Management Award from the Public Service Chapter of the
National Management Association. In 2003, he became a member
of their Advisory Board and in 2004 he was awarded the 2004
Gold Knight of Management Award. In July of 2007, he became
a member of the Public Safety Advisory Board for Franklin
University.
Pettus is part of a family firefighting tradition. His son,
Ned Jamar, is a Columbus firefighter and is currently
assigned to Station 28. His brother, Robert, is a retired
member of the Division and his cousin, Bill Reedus, is an
investigator with the Division’s Arson Bureau.
He and his wife Lonette have 4 children and 7 grandchildren.
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Revised: 1/17/2008
