The Ohio State Fire Marshal Festival is set to return to Reynoldsburg on Saturday, September 12, bringing helicopter landing demonstrations, a petting zoo, and live K-9 training exercises to the Division of State Fire Marshal's campus for a free family event. The gathering runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 8895 East Main Street, with free admission and parking for anyone who wants to attend.
The event was announced by Westerville Fire 150th on Facebook, describing it as a free family event hosted by the Ohio State Fire Marshal and the Department of Commerce that will include safety demonstrations, food trucks, a petting zoo, interactive displays, and live helicopter landings. According to Experience Columbus, the festival doubles as both a public outreach event and a homecoming for Ohio Fire Academy alumni, drawing visitors back to the campus where many of the state's firefighters trained.
Helicopters, K-9s and a Touch-a-Truck Lineup
Festivalgoers can expect live landing demonstrations and static displays from MedFlight and Air Evac medical helicopters, alongside a Touch-a-Truck display featuring vehicles from the Truro Township, Violet Township, and West Licking fire departments, Experience Columbus reports. The lineup also includes live accelerant-detection K-9 training exercises, giving attendees a rare look at how investigators sniff out arson evidence in the field.
Younger visitors will have plenty to do as well. The festival's Kiddie Combat Challenge lets kids test their skills with a water hose, and organizers have also lined up a petting zoo, inflatables, and face painting, per the same source. Mascots Sparky the Fire Dog and Boots the Mouse are expected to make appearances throughout the day, reinforcing fire-safety lessons in a format built for children.
Inside the State's Oldest Fire Marshal Office
The Reynoldsburg campus is more than an event venue — it's the operational home of the Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal, which houses eight specialized bureaus including the Ohio Fire Academy, the Code Enforcement Bureau, the Fire & Explosion Investigation Bureau, the Bureau of Underground Storage Tanks Regulations, a forensic lab, the Fire Prevention Bureau, and the Bureau of Testing and Registration, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce. The division operates under that state department to protect communities through fire investigation, regulation, and education.
The agency is led by Kevin S. Reardon, who was appointed Ohio's 39th State Fire Marshal in June 2020. Reardon previously served with the Columbus Division of Fire beginning in 1981 and later directed Central Ohio Technical College's Institute for Public Service & Safety, per the Department of Commerce. Established on April 16, 1900, under Senate Bill 51, the Division of State Fire Marshal is the oldest state fire marshal office in the United States, according to the Morrow County Sentinel. The office was originally created to combat arson and fraudulent insurance claims before expanding in 1947 to formalize its prevention and investigation bureaus, and it marked its 125th anniversary on the Reynoldsburg campus in April 2025.
Fire Deaths Trending Above Last Year's Pace
The festival's public-safety mission carries added weight this year. State fire officials warned in June that Ohio is on pace to exceed the 126 fire fatalities recorded in 2025, following a surge in fatal residential structure fires during early 2026, as reported by WBNS-TV. State prevention officials said fire incident rates earlier this year ran higher than the state's 10-year historical averages.
Smoking-related incidents remain the leading known cause of fire deaths in Ohio, accounting for roughly 20% of all fatalities, according to State Fire Marshal data cited by the Ohio Department of Commerce. Alternative heating sources, hoarding, and cooking fires round out the other major contributing factors officials continue to warn residents about.
A Workforce Squeeze Behind the Scenes
Beyond public education, the Reynoldsburg campus has become the staging ground for the state's response to a shrinking volunteer firefighter workforce. Roughly 70% of Ohio's nearly 1,200 fire departments rely on volunteer personnel, and the state has seen a 6.5% drop in volunteer firefighters alongside a 9% increase in emergency calls statewide, according to reporting cited by Scioto Post. In response, the Ohio Fire Academy launched a zero-cost, 36-hour Volunteer Firefighter Course this month that covers tuition, materials, and lodging for new recruits.
The state has also moved to shore up smaller departments financially. In February, the Division of State Fire Marshal awarded nearly $8 million in Small County Volunteer Fire Department Grants to 190 departments across 49 counties under House Bill 96, according to Hometown Stations. The grant program specifically targets volunteer departments in counties with populations of 70,000 or fewer, aiming to upgrade equipment and improve facility access ahead of what officials fear could be a difficult fire season.
