Steve Martin

Experience

• 

  City of Columbus, Ohio

  Nov 1987 - Sept 1999

  Firefighter
• 

  City of Columbus, Ohio

  Feb 2012 - now

  Charged with developing and disseminating information to the media, internal and external partners, and the general public, serving as the primary spokesperson for the Columbus Division of Fire. Develop and execute the Division’s media relations strategy, provide counsel to the Fire Chief, and ensure alignment of all internally and externally facing communications via print, broadcast, and digital outlets. Prepare official letters for the Fire Chief, Ohio Fire Marshall, Safety Director, and the Mayor, critical during incident responses and emergency situations with high media interest and public visibility.➤ Engaged in continued advanced training including FEMA classes in Public Information Awareness, Basic PIO, Advanced PIO, and Social Media in Emergency Management; working toward time prerequisite for the Master of Public Information Officer program.➤ Play a key role in positioning Columbus to host the 2021 Fire House Expo, assembling a committee—division training members, suburban fire department chiefs, and members of the Ohio Fire Academy—to promote Columbus as the destination of choice.➤ Assisted in a promotional video to host the annual Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association conference in Columbus, authoring scripts for key influencers—Jack Hanna, Jack Nicklaus, Mayor Ginther, and Safety Director Pettus—resulting in winning the bid.➤ Serve as the Division’s liaison to the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security, assisting with equipment acquisition, resource allocation, and efficient movement of equipment and supplies to points of distribution. Show less While maintaining traditional Emergency Services assignments, engaged in this Special Operations position to respond to bomb and explosive incidents, perform systematic searches for potential hazards—during VIP visits and large sporting events—and conduct render-safe operations while advising on-scene commanders. Facilitated civilian, police, and firefighter classes on threat response, identification of threats, and risk management.➤ Advocated to secure funding to purchase the Division’s first bomb robot, assisting in the layout and construction of response vehicles, defining storage and transportation protocols, and overseeing deployment and control of equipment.➤ Earned two Medals of Valor for responding to, identifying, and disarming explosive devices, executing special operations often without the protection of protective bomb suits and before devices were able to be neutralized.➤ Served as one of two bomb technicians in the state to be certified in underwater explosive recovery, demonstrating advanced knowledge and technical skills as a rescue/recovery scuba diver and a bomb technician. Show less Addressed all complaints and allegations of misconduct made against members of the Division, performed background investigations of firefighter applicants, and worked diligently to optimize productivity and performance of Administrative Investigation Unit staff. Assigned cases to appropriate investigative officers, coordinated processes with internal and external stakeholders, and produced unbiased and comprehensive written reports documenting investigative findings. Planned and directed unit-wide training programs.➤ Developed a plan to incorporate the Background Investigation Unit into the Professional Standards Unit—now referred to as the Administrative Investigation Unit—contributing to restructuring of personnel, processes, protocols, and shared practices.➤ Drove operational continuity by closing a gap in transcriptionist and secretary services, eliminating a backlog of cases by researching and securing financial support to contract with an offsite vendor to assist during high-volume times.➤ Addressed longstanding performance issues of a key administrative staff member, developing a Performance Improvement Plan, collaborating with the union representative to address nonperformance, and enabling the unit to hire new talent. Show less Assisted with operation of the Support Services Bureau, provided functional direction, investigated personnel issues, addressed fleet-related matters, and collaborated with Facilities and Construction Management on Maintenance and Division projects.➤ Coordinated transition to new high-visibility winter apparel, without impacting citywide response times or resource availability, planning and overseeing the exchange of old winter coats in an exceptionally short timeframe.➤ Executed annual inspections of all Division properties and assets, partnering with Facilities Maintenance to identify priorities, plan maintenance and replacement projects, and oversee implementation to mitigate service interruptions. Show less Worked in the Office of the Chief to identify opportunities to improve processes, systems, and equipment, overseeing research, testing, and development of innovations to advance the organization’s key priorities and initiatives. Evaluated competitive bids, championed health and safety directives, and worked diligently to support the achievement of operational and safety excellence.➤ Oversaw construction of three $1M tractor-drawn aerials as the Chair of the Aerial Ladder Committee, coordinating input from the Columbus Department of Finance, Columbus Fleet Management, apparatus manufacturer, and apparatus sales vendor.➤ Developed specifications for 13 medic vehicles as the Chair of the Medic Committee, leading a team of 6 in defining patient transport vehicle needs, outlining requirements, and securing support from Finance, Fleet, and the manufacturer.➤ Contributed to fleet improvement, growth, and uniformity through the coordination of cross-functional efforts to develop specifications for new capital equipment, research and select vendors, manage purchases, and verify contract compliance. Show less

  • Battalion Chief, Public Information Office

    Feb 2016 - now

  • Bomb Technician

    Jan 1989 - Jun 2016

  • Battalion Chief, Administrative Investigation Unit Commander

    Feb 2014 - Feb 2016

  • Battalion Chief, Assistant Support Services Bureau Head

    Jan 2013 - Feb 2014

  • Captain, Research & Innovation

    Feb 2012 - Jun 2013