Hiram Firefighters Association

03/18/2026

Update: This is not a guaranteed full-time position, according to the mayor at tonight’s council meeting. We still encourage anyone who is qualified to apply.

The Village of Hiram is seeking to hire a full-time Fire Chief. We are excited about this opportunity to bring on a dedicated leader to guide and strengthen our fire department. Qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

03/15/2026

Good evening,
This is a reminder that the Village of Hiram will hold its regularly scheduled council meeting on Tuesday, March 17th. The Hiram Township Trustees will also hold their regular meeting that evening. Both meetings are scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM.
Residents who have questions or comments regarding the fire department are encouraged to attend and address their concerns with their elected officials.
As always, please stay safe.

02/28/2026

Per Ohio revised code 737.21. The mayor is a part of the executive branch. Speaking with some council members this evening, they were not made aware of her decision before hand. The Hiram Township Trustees were also blindsided by the email we received.

02/27/2026

Good evening,
We want to make the community aware of an email distributed to the fire department by Mayor Ann Haynam. The email states that Hiram Fire will no longer be providing fire and EMS services after 11:59 PM on Sunday night, March 1.
This message was sent without any face-to-face conversation between the Mayor and any member of the fire department since Chief Byers’ retirement. Chief Byers did not resign.
We have firefighters who are ready and willing to work to protect this community. This is not how we move forward — this is how we risk losing more dedicated members by denying hardworking men and women the opportunity to serve and earn a living.
By closing the department, response times will increase. When emergency services are farther away, every minute matters.
For the sake of your loved ones, we sincerely hope you never have to experience an emergency and wait longer for help to arrive. Our community deserves timely, reliable protection.

We are sharing this information to ensure our community is aware of what is happening. Everyone has the right to know.

02/26/2026

Today we proudly recognize and thank Bill Byers for his incredible 21 years of service with the Hiram Fire Department, including the last 15 years as Fire Chief.
Chief Byers has served the Village of Hiram and Hiram Township with unwavering honor, integrity, and dedication. His leadership has shaped this department, strengthened our community, and set a standard of excellence that will continue for years to come. Through challenges, growth, and change, he has remained steadfast in his commitment to protecting and serving others.
His dedication, experience, and steady leadership will be a tremendous loss to the department, but his legacy will live on in the firefighters he mentored and the community he faithfully served.
On behalf of the Hiram Firefighters Association we extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for his remarkable service.
Thank you, Chief Byers, for 21 years of commitment and 15 years of outstanding leadership. Your impact will never be forgotten.

02/25/2026

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bainbridge Fire Department, family and friends of Firefighter Darrell Rose during this difficult time. You will be missed brother!!!

02/23/2026

A message from the Hiram Firefighters Association to the residents of the Village of Hiram and Hiram Township,

After careful discussion among our Hiram Firefighters Association members, we feel it is necessary to inform the public about ongoing concerns regarding our treatment by Village of Hiram Mayor Anne Haynam.
Following two separate meetings with Village of Hiram Council President Chris Szell and Village of Hiram Mayor Anne Haynam, we regret to report that our concerns were dismissed rather than addressed. We were characterized as presenting "childish complaints" and were told it was "her way or the highway." This approach to leadership has left our members feeling unheard and undervalued.
We have consistently been treated as second-class employees. While we have no issue maintaining a clean and professional workplace, we believe it is unreasonable to expect our department alone to clean shared areas in a building occupied by three other departments. Additionally, members have been threatened with disciplinary action if we do not clean up after other departments. We believe mutual accountability and fairness should be the standard for all.
In the Mayor's State of the Village address, she acknowledged that staffing challenges exist and that compensation packages need improvement. However, our members have not received a wage increase in over two years. We have also experienced two separate payroll periods in which employees were paid late. These actions directly contradict public statements about supporting staff and improving recruitment and retention.
Furthermore, our payroll system has regressed from electronic processing back to paper time sheets under the banner of "modernization." This change has created inefficiencies and confusion rather than improvement.
It came to our attention last week, through an employee at another department, that Mayor Haynam contacted their chief about Hiram joining their EMS district.
We would like clarification on what this means for our personnel and operations. Specifically, does this proposal affect our employment with Hiram, and is there any plan for the Hiram station to close?

Due to these ongoing concerns, the Association is issuing a vote of no confidence in Mayor Haynam. We do not believe her current leadership reflects the best interests of our members or the long-term stability of our department.
At the same time, we would like to formally express our full vote of confidence in Fire Chief Bill Byers. Since taking office in 2011, Chief Byers has overseen significant improvements within the department, including more than doubling wages, expanding staffing to 24/7 coverage with two personnel on station, and fostering a strong and positive workplace culture. The progress achieved under his leadership speaks for itself.
We believe Chief Byers should continue to serve as our Chief for as long as he chooses.
We are proud of the progress this department has made and remain committed to serving our community with professionalism and integrity.

Respectfully,

Hiram Firefighters Association

02/20/2026

11/11/2025

We would like to send a heartfelt thank you to all veterans.