The Bellefontaine Fire Department responded to 3,143 calls in 2024, according to its annual report.
These calls included fire emergencies, medical calls, and fire safety inspections.
Here’s how the calls broke down:
- 2,608 EMS Calls: These included a range of medical emergencies, like difficulty breathing, heart attacks, accidents, overdoses, and more.
- 535 Fire Calls: The department responded to fires, accidents, gas leaks, false alarms, rescues, and other emergencies.
- 120 Fire Inspections: The Fire Prevention Officer conducted inspections at public buildings and construction sites, checked safety systems like fire alarms, and made sure new buildings met safety standards. The officer also led fire safety education programs in the community.
In many cases, like car accidents or house fires, both fire and EMS teams respond at the same time to offer more support when needed.

Department Personnel and Operations
The Bellefontaine Fire Department has 25 employees, including 24 first responders and one administrative assistant, Alina Bailey.
Alina takes care of phone calls, payroll, and EMS billing.
Chief Brian Wilson leads the department.
He handles most of the paperwork but also takes charge of major emergencies as Incident Commander (IC).
The Chief can hand over control to the Assistant Chief on duty if they arrive first.
The department has four Assistant Chiefs:
- Assistant Chief Randy McCully is in charge of fire safety inspections and education. He also works with the county on new building projects and ensures fire safety systems are properly tested.
- Assistant Chief Mark Layman oversees A-Shift, though Interim Assistant Chief Vince Wulf is filling in while Layman recovers from an injury.
- Assistant Chief Ben Kennedy manages B-Shift.
- Assistant Chief Nate Alexander leads C-Shift.



The department works in three shifts: A-Shift, B-Shift, and C-Shift.
All firefighters are trained to handle both fire and medical emergencies.
They switch between fire trucks and ambulance units to stay prepared for any situation. Some are also working to become paramedics.
The department works on a 24/48 schedule, meaning firefighters are on duty for 24 hours and then off for 48 hours.
Only the Chief, Assistant Chief McCully, and Alina Bailey work a regular Monday to Friday schedule.