CANFIELD — The Cardinal Joint Fire District Board of Directors welcomed a new full-time firefighter / paramedic at Monday’s meeting when the oath of office was administered to Ryan Pitcher, who will fill a vacant spot in the full-time ranks.

Pitcher is a Southeast High School Class of 2017 graduate, who went on to serve six years in the U.S. Army as a Cavalry Scout. He spent 2019 and 2020 serving in the Middle East.

“I want to make a career out of the fire service,” Pitcher said.

He served as a part-timer for the past year and just recently completed paramedic school.

“He will fill the opening that came about when Conner O’Halloran left to take the emergency 911 position for the county,” Chief Don Hutchison said. “Pitcher will bring our full-time ranks back up to 27.”

Hutchison said the part-time ranks are at 10. He said the district still needs to add a few more, but finding part-time people is tough.

On a different issue, the board approved of the ballot language for the district’s renewal levy. The levy will collect $238,124 annually for current operating expenses at a rate of 0.42 mills. The levy will be a five-year renewal commencing in 2026 and first due in 2027.

Also Monday, Hutchison gave the August runs report that included some Canfield Fair numbers. He said 312 calls were responded to last month, with 78 of them coming from the fairgrounds. His department handled 479 inspections of buildings and concessions at the fair.

“We did have a report of smoke coming from an electric box,” Hutchison said. “One vendor would flip the switch for his concession and it turned the lights on at a neighboring concession.”

He said a wrong connection was discovered and corrected with no further problems.

Hutchison ended his report asking for permission to apply for a MARCS (Multi-Agency Radio Communication System) grant for radios for the district’s chief and deputy chief vehicles. He said there are a few problem areas in Canfield, with the biggest being Canfield High School.

He said there are dead spots in the school the upgraded radios could help resolve. Hutchison said the grant would be 100% as long as the district bought the radios the grant covers.