July 31, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association: Columbus –Joe Kitchen, Fire Chief with the Bath Township Fire Department, was sworn in last Wednesday as the 95th president of the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA), the state’s premier organization for fire service leaders. At his inauguration, Chief Kitchen pledged to do his very best to represent the Association and Ohio’s fire service to the best of his ability.
Throughout his two-year term, Chief Kitchen plans to focus on training, education, and professional development for Ohio’s fire service leaders as well as legislative advocacy. A priority area will be addressing the workforce needs of the state’s volunteer, part-time and career fire and emergency medical services. “The fire service in Ohio is in crisis. Volunteers are drying up, and candidates for paid positions are becoming few and far between,” Kitchen said. “We will lead the charge to identify and address these workforce issues in an impactful manner.”
Outgoing president Chief Colin Altman praised Kitchen’s service and work ethic. “I am thrilled and proud to hand the reins over to Chief Kitchen. His devotion to our mission, our members, and the fire service in general is unmatched; I know he will lead great things for our state’s fire service.”
A member of the fire service for 34 years, Kitchen has served as Chief with Bath Township for 22 years. Starting as a volunteer, he climbed the ranks and was appointed Fire Chief in 2002. He is state certified as a Firefighter 2, paramedic, fire safety inspector, and Assistant Fire & EMS instructor. Chief Kitchen is a graduate of the Advanced Exterior Firefighter II program at Texas A&M University.
He is a graduate of Bath High School, Apollo Career Center Public Safety Program, and Rhodes State College where he graduated with honors and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. He also completed training courses at Bowling Green State University, Franklin University, and the Ohio Fire Academy and has completed Fire Officer I, II and III, and holds degrees in Emergency Medical Services and Technical Studies / Fire Science.
He is a member of the Allen County Safe Community Coalition, the Allen County Health Department Emergency Preparedness Committee, the Allen County Regional Planning Fatal Crash Review Committee, the Apollo Career Center Educational Foundation Board, and various other organizations. He also serves as Allen County coordinator for the Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Emergency Response Plan.
He has served on the OFCA Board of Directors for fourteen years, filling the positions of Foundation Trustee, District Director, At-Large Director, and President-Elect. He has been instrumental in growing the association’s membership and has played a key role in advocating for firefighter health and safety and in developing the organization’s five-year strategic plans.
Outside of his fire service career, he is a fan of the Cincinnati Reds and often attends games at Great American Ballpark. A native of Allen County, Chief Kitchen lives in Bath Township and is the father to 20-year-old daughter Kalie, currently a health sciences major at the Ohio State University. He enjoys spending time with family, live music, and is an avid collector of vinyl albums. Kitchen was an active member of the Lima Rotary Club for eight years.
About the Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association
The Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association is a statewide organization supporting the interests of Ohio's fire officers. Through a variety of programs and services, the Association provides education and professional development, legislative advocacy, communication and information exchange and peer networking opportunities throughout the year. Through the work of its dedicated board of directors and committee volunteers and professional staff, the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association continually focuses on being the premier fire and emergency services organization in the state of Ohio.
