PTFD Administration

PTFD Administration

Chief John Hoovler started his fire career as a volunteer firefighter with Johnstown Fire Department in 1974. He became a paramedic in 1978 and continued to volunteer until he was hired as Johnstown’s first fulltime firefighter in 1987. John has progressed through each position in the fire service including, firefighter/paramedic, Lieutenant, Captain, Assistant Chief and Chief. In 1993 John took a part-time position at Worthington Fire Department as a firefighter/paramedic. John was hired in 1994, by Madison Township as a fulltime firefighter/paramedic and continued to work part-time at Worthington. Oct 1994 he was sworn in as Fire Chief of the Plain Township Fire Department. He is married to his wife Kathleen and they have four daughters with eight grandchildren, six girls and two boys. In his spare time he enjoys farming and raising beef cattle and occasionally going camping.
Assistant Chief Rupp has over 30 years of fire service experience. Serving Madison Township in Franklin County for over 27 years. During that time he served as a Firefighter / Paramedic, EMS Officer, Company Officer, Battalion Commander and Executive Officer. In 2002, the Plain Township Board of Trustees approved hiring him into the Assistant Fire Chief position. Asst. Chief Rupp currently oversees operations, training, fire prevention and EMS billing. He assists the Fire Chief with human resource management, planning and budgeting. He chairs the operations board for the Metropolitan Emergency Communications Center (MECC) and is on the advisory group for the Central Ohio Strike Team (Ohio Region 4 USAR). Chief Rupp is a member of the Ohio Fire Chief’s Association and serves on a number of state committees. In addition Chief Rupp has served on the Ohio EMS Board and is a founding Board Member for the FCFF / Grant Medical Center Paramedic Program and still serves on that Advisory Board. Asst. Chief Rupp's educational background includes both formal and technical training. He is a certified paramedic, public safety instructor, fire safety inspector and hazmat technician. He and his wife Carol, have three sons and a daughter. All three sons have chosen careers in the fire service.
Battalion Chief Kevin Sponaugle was the Valedictorian of the New Albany High School graduating class of 1989, and holds an Associates of Technical Studies in EMS & Fire Science from Columbus State Community College.  Kevin joined the department as a volunteer firefighter in the summer of 1990 while attending The Ohio State University.  He was hired fulltime in January 1992, and received his Ohio Paramedic certification that same year from Columbus State Community College.  Kevin was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in December 1995, and promoted to the rank of Captain in August 2005.  He was honored with the Firefighter of the Year award in 1999.  Kevin is certified as a Fire Safety Inspector, Fire Investigator, and Fire Instructor, and EMS Continuing Education Instructor.  Kevin is also an OPOTA certified law enforcement officer, and has been proudly serving as an Auxilliary Deputy Sheriff with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office since June 1997.  In his spare time, Kevin volunteers with the Gahanna Special Olympics group, where he helps coach the Bowling and Track & Field teams.  Kevin resides in Reynoldsburg with his wife and 3 of his 4 children.