Staff photos / J.T. Whitehouse
Cardinal Joint Fire District Board Chairman Richard Russo welcomes Ben Murch as the latest full time fire-fighter / paramedic during Monday’s final board meeting of 2024.

Cardinal Joint Fire District Board Chairman Richard Russo issues the oath of office to Ryan Pitcher, one of two new part-time personnel welcomed during Monday’s final board meeting of 2024.

CJFD Chairman Richard Russo welcomes new part-time employee Noah Hartzler to the department during Monday’s final board meeting of 2024.

CANFIELD — The Cardinal Joint Fire District added three to its roster — one full-time firefighter and two part-time — at the final board meeting of 2024 on Monday, where all three received their badges and took the oath of office.

First up was new full timer Ben Murch from Thompson in Geauga County. He graduated from fire school and continued his education at University Hospital’s EMT course and graduated from paramedic school in 2015. He went to work at Community Care Ambulance in Ashtabula.

“I was referred to Canfield (CJFD) by a friend,” Murch said. “It has been very welcoming here and I think it will be a good fit.”

The first of two part-time personnel was Ryan Pitcher from Lake Milton. Pitcher served six years in the Army and came to Canfield through suggestions by his military buddies.

“Some of my Army buddies served in the fire service,” he said. “I just moved out this way and got an interview with the CJFD.”

Pitcher said he holds a firefighter / EMT certification and is in school for paramedic training. He will graduate from that course in July.

The second new part timer to take the oath was Noah Hartzler from Springfield. He graduated from Springfield High School in 2020 and took his EMT training during the COVID-19 pandemic. He started serving with the Springfield Fire Department and in 2021 started full time at Lane LifeTrans ambulance. He also served as a 911 dispatcher in Austintown up to July of 2024. His cousin encouraged him to apply at CJFD.

“My cousin is Lt. Austin Gebhardt, who serves with the CJFD,” Hartzler said. “He encouraged me to come here along with several Springfield guys who worked here as well.”

He said he plans to continue working part-time for both Canfield and Springfield.

The fire board also approved the hiring of another part timer, Peter Oberacker from Canton. He will be sworn in during the February board meeting pending a background check.

“That takes our full-time staff to 27 and our part-time personnel to 11,” said fire Chief Don Hutchison. “All of our full-time people are paramedics and all of our part-time people are EMTs.”

Also Monday, Hutchison presented the 2024 Life Saver Awards to fire personnel Capt. Conner O’Halloran, Corey Mrofchak, Anthony Postarella, Noah Dennis and Dominic Noel, and Canfield police officers Chad DeBarr, Sgt. Kyle Young, Ellie Davidson and Sgt. Brett Modic.

“We got the phone call after Labor Day of a fellow having a seizure and who went into cardiac arrest,” Hutchison said. “Our responding officers and fire personnel were credited with saving his life.”

Each person involved received a certificate.

A final end of the year award went to board member Denise Harlan, who stepped down at the end of 2024 after more than 20 years of service on the board. Chairman Richard Russo presented her with a plaque honoring her for all the years of dedication.

Russo closed the meeting by asking that anyone interested in being part of the CJFD Board of Directors in the at-large position should contact the fire department through its web page www.canfieldfire.org to express interest. Those interested need to have a letter and application turned in by Jan. 20, 2025. The board is made up of one city official, one city resident, one township official and a township resident. Those four members, selected by their respective government entity, then vote on a fifth “at-large” member.