BATAVIA, Ohio — A Central Joint Fire & EMS District lieutenant who started in the fire service as a 15-year-old cadet has spent nearly two decades working his way up through the department that protects Batavia Township and the Village of Batavia, the district said in a Facebook post highlighting his career.
Donny Snider, 41, has spent 19 years with the district, including 17 years as a full-time firefighter/paramedic and the past nine years as a lieutenant, according to the district’s “Meet Your Firefighters” series. He got his start as a cadet and explorer at age 15, long before joining the department full time, the district said.
Snider’s specialties include auto extrication, electric vehicle safety, and technical and water rescue, the district said, adding that he enjoys training and passing along his knowledge to other firefighters. Outside the firehouse, he is close with his family, especially his nephew, and enjoys traveling to warm-weather destinations, according to the post.
Central Joint Fire & EMS District was formed Jan. 1, 2002, after voters in Batavia Township and the Village of Batavia approved a November 2001 referendum merging the township’s fire and rescue department, which had covered the northern township and the village, with the BMOP Volunteer Fire Company, which served the southern part of the township. A five-member board made up of two township trustees, two village council members and one at-large community member governs the district.
The district operates two stations and responds to more than 4,600 calls for service a year, making it one of the busiest fire departments in Clermont County, according to the district. Fire Chief Roy Short Jr., who began his career with the district as a captain, was promoted to the top job in 2025.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Central Joint Fire & EMS District.