A Brief History….

Springfield Township is one of the eighteen townships of Richland County, Ohio, United States. It is a part of the Mansfield Metropolitan Statistical Area according to the United States Census Bureau. In 2010 the Census Bureau showed the population to consist of 10,685 people. Of that, 6,225 people resided in the City of Ontario and 4,460 resided in the unincorporated portion of the township. The township has a total area of 36.6 square miles (58.9 km²).

The Springfield Township Fire Department was founded in 1948. It was staffed by volunteers. In 1991, the fire department hired a full time member, former Chief Ron Henry (retired in 2019). At that time the department still operated mostly as a volunteer service, responding to approximately 300 calls per year. Since then the services have expanded not only from fire suppression and rescue services, but now primarily includes EMS care and transports. Currently, the increase in responses will exceed 2,100 calls.

The fire department has two stations which each have the capabilities for fire suppression, rescues or EMS. Combined staffing consists at a minimum of six people per day with each station providing a highly skilled Paramedic. Aside from fire and EMS, the Springfield Township Fire Department provides well-trained services in trench rescue, rope rescue, building collapse, confined space and hazardous materials operations.

Accompanying the technical rescue skills and responsibilities for the services mentioned, the members still find time to give back to their community. Other services provided by the Springfield Township Fire Department to our residents include our smoke detector program for the elderly, green address signs provided at no cost, accepting toys and collecting coats for the needy, community fire prevention lectures, fire safety inspections, and annual support of the Ontario Fourth of July Festival.