Painesville City Fire Department

10/13/2026

October 13, 2026
For General Release

On Friday, October 9, at approximately 1:36 p.m., the Painesville City Fire Department responded to a reported apartment fire at Hollydale Apartments, located at 908 N. State Street. Automatic mutual aid was provided by the Painesville Township, Concord, and Fairport Harbor Fire Departments.

Upon arrival, firefighters found smoke coming from a ground-floor apartment in Building 4. Crews quickly attacked the fire and brought it under control. A search of the apartment confirmed that no occupants were home. Firefighters evacuated the entire building and checked for fire extension to the floors above.

In addition to our mutual aid partners, assistance was provided by the Painesville Police Department, Painesville Public Power, and Enbridge Gas.

Fire damage was limited to the apartment where the fire originated. There were no injuries to civilians or emergency personnel.

The Painesville City Fire Department, in cooperation with the East End Fire Investigation Unit is investigating the origin and cause of the fire. At this time, it is undetermined and not believed to be intentional. A damage estimate is not yet available.

The Painesville City Fire Department thanks all responding agencies for their assistance and cooperation.

Thomas C. Hummel, Jr.
Fire Chief

10/13/2026

COMMUNITY SAFETY REMINDER!

The Painesville City Fire Department has carbon monoxide (CO) detectors available for city residents through our community safety program!

If you or someone you know is in need of a CO detector, please contact our administrative office at 440-392-5848 to inquire about the program.

A big thank-you to OFESF, Enbridge, and Painesville Elks Lodge #549 for helping us keep our community safe!

10/12/2026

10/11/2026

A message to our Painesville Community –

We would like to take a moment to confirm how information regarding fire incidents, EMS calls, rescue responses, and active investigations are shared with the public. We understand that community members may have questions when emergency services are dispatched throughout our city. We appreciate the concern and interest our residents have in what happens in their community. Transparency is important to us, but so is protecting the privacy, safety, and well-being of those we serve.

To help clarify our communication practices:

Active Investigations: We do not discuss active investigations with independent local news outlets or social media news pages.
Fire incidents: We do not provide incident details or commentary to these outlets.
Photographs: We do not share incident photographs with these outlets.
EMS and rescue calls: These incidents involve sensitive personal and medical information. We follow strict HIPAA requirements and applicable privacy laws to protect the confidentiality of the individuals we serve. We will not disclose protected information simply to satisfy public curiosity. Identification and P.O.A. (if applicable) is taken, and records are released in person at our Administration Office.
Media inquiries: When approached, we may provide limited, general information to established news organizations, including The News-Herald and local television news stations such as Cleveland 19 News and WKYC.
Official updates: Public information and press releases are shared directly through the Painesville City Fire Department’s official page when appropriate.
Official reports: Certain reports may also be provided to insurance companies, including renters insurance, and property owners through the appropriate channels.

A reminder about scanner traffic and online reports:

We know that many people in our community monitor emergency scanner traffic and follow social media pages that post dispatched calls. While scanner traffic may provide information about the initial dispatch, what is broadcast during dispatch may not accurately reflect what crews encounter once they arrive on scene. Initial information can change as firefighters, paramedics, and rescue personnel assess the situation and gather accurate details. A dispatched call description is not necessarily a confirmed account of what happened, the severity of an incident, or the outcome. It is important to keep this in mind before accepting or sharing information online and with peers. Sources may be working with incomplete information, assumptions, or details that have not been verified. Narratives, parties, and the entire situation can become inaccurate. In EMS and rescue situations, sharing speculation can also unintentionally compromise someone's privacy during an already difficult time. No one should be speaking on behalf of the Painesville City Fire Department, and information posted online should not automatically be considered official or accurate.

Our community comes first. Our priority is, and always will be, the safety, privacy, and peace of mind of our residents. We want our community members to feel protected and confident that we handle sensitive information responsibly, professionally, and respectfully. We encourage everyone to rely on the Painesville City Fire Department’s official page for department-issued updates and press releases when appropriate, and to make decisions carefully.

Thank you for your continued trust, understanding, and support. It is our privilege to serve the Painesville community.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you can privately message us or call us at 440-392-5848

09/11/2026

Today marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11. PCFD assisted with the ceremony, as we have every year since 2001. As part of a tradition begun by retired Fire Chief Mark Mlachak, our department supported the memorial service with set up, a firefighter bell service and firefighter’s prayer. It was my honor once again to speak at this event, sharing some of my reflections of the past 25 years. I was also honored to be asked to assist with the organization of the memorial service. I would like to thank the following people, who took time from their busy schedules to offer their reflections on this day.

Jim Fodor, Painesville City Council President
Anthony Zampedro, Assistant City Manager, City of Painesville
Deputy Chief Mike Biddell, Concord Twp. Fire Dept.
Sgt. Mike Bailey, Painesville Police Dept.
Dale Fellows
FF (retired) Ed Jividen, Painesville City Fire Dept.
John Plecnik, Lake County Commissioner

I would also like to thank Painesville City Councilman and American Legion Post #336 member Derrick Abney for performing the Invocation and Benediction, retired PCFD FF Ed Jividen for assistance with the firefighter bell ceremony, and Thom Seymour (USMC Retired) for his invaluable help with coordination, set up, tear down and maintenance of the memorial supplies. Thank you as well to Michell LaPuma and Justin Gollin of Painesville City’s Parks Dept., and their personnel for coordinating our use of the gazebo and help with tear down. Our city certainly has a great team!

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who came to share int eh remembrance of this day. We are reminded to “never forget” and I for one will always remember, to honor those who paid the ultimate price.

Thomas Hummel, Fire Chief

Photos by Michael Cook, Public Information Officer for Painesville CIty

09/09/2026

We often get calls regarding disposal of some of these products. Just a friendly reminder. Last day for household hazardous waste collection is this Saturday, September 12th!

The second and final Household Hazardous Waste Collection of 2026 will be held this Saturday, September 12th, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Lake County Fairgrounds. For more information, please call (440) 350-2645.

NOTE: tires are not accepted at this collection.

09/08/2026

The calls are coming in. ☺️

While we are very, very grateful that this article has already reached so many, we would like to clarify that the programs we have are going to be for Painesville City residents. This does not include Painesville Township. If you live outside of the city limits, we will have to refer you to the jurisdiction that you are in. I have included a link to the city map in this post. Please do not hesitate to call if you have confusion about a city vs. township address. We are happy to verify this for you, regardless!

https://www.painesville.com/index.asp?SEC=9FFDE3C1-6B70-473D-8BB1-1AC9743969F5&DE=A15BAB2F-3FBC-47A8-BABC-631D63DCFD7B

The Painesville City Fire Department has offered smoke detectors to residents for years, and now it’s launching a new program to provide them with another type of life-saving alarm. The department is offering free carbon monoxide d…

09/05/2026

2026 ACTIVE THREAT/MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT DRILL

Photos include actors and fake blood.

The Painesville City Fire Department recently participated in the 2026 Lake County Active Threat/Mass Casualty Incident Drill, a two-day regional training exercise designed to strengthen the ability of law enforcement, fire/rescue, and emergency communications personnel to work together during large-scale critical incidents.

The training was held on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, and Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Painesville Township. Nearly 200 police, fire, and dispatch personnel from Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, and Cuyahoga Counties participated in this year’s exercise.

Now in its ninth consecutive year, the Active Threat/Mass Casualty Incident Drill provides first responders with an opportunity to train together in a realistic, controlled environment. This year’s scenario focused on a heavily populated open-air incident, allowing participating agencies to practice coordinated response operations, patient assessment and treatment, victim extraction, communications, scene coordination, and other critical functions associated with a mass casualty event.

Members of the Painesville City Fire Department participated alongside our law enforcement and fire/rescue partners throughout the exercise. Training of this nature is an important part of maintaining operational readiness and ensuring that agencies can effectively work together when responding to complex incidents that require a coordinated, multi-agency response.

The drill brought together personnel from numerous agencies throughout Northeast Ohio, including fire departments, police departments, dispatch centers, emergency management personnel, specialized medical teams, and other public safety organizations.

The training also included realistic role players portraying injured victims, allowing responders to practice patient triage, treatment, stabilization, and movement under conditions designed to replicate the challenges of a real mass casualty incident.

The Painesville City Fire Department would like to thank the members of the Lake County Active Threat/Mass Casualty Incident Drill Training Group for their continued commitment to providing this valuable training opportunity. We also appreciate the cooperation and dedication of all participating law enforcement, fire/rescue, dispatch, emergency management, and medical personnel.

We would also like to extend our appreciation to the Lake County Fair Board and fairgrounds staff for providing the location and supporting the exercise, as well as the numerous organizations and individuals whose efforts made this year’s training possible.

Exercises such as this reinforce an important principle of emergency response: no single agency can handle a large-scale critical incident alone. Effective communication, coordinated operations, and strong relationships between public safety agencies are essential to protecting our communities.

We are proud to continue participating in this annual training and working alongside our regional partners to improve our preparedness, response capabilities, and ability to serve the residents of Painesville and the surrounding communities.

We thank all of the first responders who participated in this year’s exercise and continue to dedicate their time and expertise toward making our communities safer.