By Dedra Cordle
Staff Writer
Jackson Township Fire Chief Randy Little (left) congratulates Lt. Chris Hite after he was appointed to serve as the new fire marshal at the April 11 board of trustees meeting. Hite, a native of Grove City, has been working at the fire department for two decades.
The Jackson Township fire administration has chosen a long-time veteran of the department to serve as the new fire marshal.
On April 11, Fire Chief Randy Little submitted a letter of recommendation to the township board of trustees to consider the appointment of Lt. Chris Hite for the position.
Little said it was his belief that Hite would be perfect for the role as he has “extensive knowledge” of the fire code and the ability to “bring everyone together” to understand the importance of following state guidelines and other local safety measures.
“He has been our fire prevention officer and the fire code official for the past two years and he has done an admirable job,” said Little. “We thought this would be as good of a time as any to try to upgrade him to the fire marshal.”
The trustees unanimously agreed.
“Chris is such a great guy, a true man of few words, but he is someone who is unwilling to be silent when he sees something that might put the lives of our residents in jeopardy,” said board chairman Ron McClure. “He’s pretty quiet but he’ll lower the boom to make people safe when needed.”
Hite is a native of the local community where he will serve as the fire marshal. He graduated from Grove City High School in 2000 and joined the fire department three years later.
He said he was honored to have been selected to serve as the new fire marshal.
In his role as the fire marshal, Hite will be tasked with ensuring that new and existing commercial buildings are up to code. He will also work with the city of Grove City, the township, and the village of Urbancrest to design safety plans for large community events.
Additionally, Hite and the fire prevention bureau will continue to educate the public on fire safety through community events and visits to local elementary schools. The bureau will also continue to teach the public and private sector cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the proper use of an automated external defibrillator.
In other news, the Jackson Township administration building is gearing up for the start of the extended community cleanup campaign. Starting on May 1, residents of the township, the city of Grove City, and the village of Urbancrest will be permitted to drop off their unwanted household items at 4756 Hoover Road, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., holidays excluded.
The service will run through Sept. 29.
Items accepted include residential bulk trash, bulk items, scrap metal and tires. The latter item is limited to four per vehicle per trip. Hazardous items will not be accepted, nor will batteries.
E-waste, with the exception of monitors and televisions, are accepted year-round; some household furniture that can be repurposed will also be permitted to be off-loaded through Sept. 29. Township administrator Shane Farnsworth encouraged residents to give the office a call at 614-875-2742 or send an email through the township website at jacksontwpfranklinoh.gov for additional information regarding which items can be accepted.
