Former Columbus Fire Chief Passes Away

Funeral services are scheduled Saturday morning for former Columbus Fire Chief Donald Werner, who passed away last Sunday at the age of 85. Werner joined the Division of Fire in 1953, became chief in 1984 and retired in 1991 after being asked to resign by then-Mayor Buck Rinehart and then-Safety Director Larry James. The request was prompted by internal politics as well as issues including fire inspectors keeping cash for performing after-hours inspections, paramedics mistreating patients and problems with minority hiring.