Columbus Fire Department announces full staffing after hiring six members

COLUMBUS, Ind.– The Columbus Fire Department (CFD) welcomes six members, bringing the department to full staffing. Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon swore in the newst merbers of the Fire Department at Tuesday's Board of Public Works and Safety meeting held at Columbus City Hall.

Benjamin Bonyhay, 25, is a Greensburg, Indiana resident. Bonyhay is a 2019 graduate of Newton High School in Newton, Massachusetts and a 2023 graduate of Purdue University where he studied Agricultural Business Management and Agricultural Systems Management. Before joining the Columbus Fire Department, Bonyhay served for the Richmond, Indiana Fire Department. Bonyhay’s certifications include Fire Fighter I & II, EMT and Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations.  

Cody Ghuman, 29, is a Columbus resident and 2015 graduate of Columbus North High School. Ghuman has worked with Columbus Township Fire Rescue since 2022 and dedicated 3 years to the Clifford Volunteer Fire Department. Ghuman’s certifications include Fire I & II, EMT, Rope Rescue Technician, Vehicle Extrication Technician, Surface Water Rescue Technician, Swift Water Rescue Technician, Confined Space Rescue Technician, Driver Operator General and Pumper, Mobile Water Supply, Fire Officer Strategies and Tactics, Instructor I, Fire Officer I, Incident Safety Officer and Incident Command System 300.

Benjamin L. Peek, 30, is a Seymour, Indiana resident. Peek is a 2015 graduate of Herron High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Peek currently serves with the Hamilton Township Volunteer Fire Department and the Crothersville Volunteer Fire Department in Jackson County. Peek is a certified EMT and certified in Fire Fighter I & II, Driver Operator and Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations.

Enrique Josmar Callejas Santos, 22, is a Columbus resident and 2023 graduate of Edinburgh Community High School. Cellejas Santos currently attends the Indiana University Columbus School of Nursing. Callejas Santos’ public safety experience includes service with Edinburgh Fire and Rescue and the Bargersville Fire Department. Callejas Santos’ certifications include Fire Fighter I & II, EMT, Driver Operator General/ Pumper/ Mobile Water Supply, Rope Rescue Technician, Surface Water Rescue Technician and Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations.

Roy Allen Schuder, 30, resides in Hope, Indiana and is a 2014 graduate of Edinburgh Community High School. Schuder, a certified EMT, is a member of the German Township Volunteer Fire Department, in Taylorsville, Indiana.

Adler Yentz, 23, is a Columbus resident and 2021 graduate of Columbus North High School. Yentz attended Ivy Tech Community College. Yentz has been a member of the New Whiteland Fire Department since 2024 and holds Fire Fighter I & II, EMT and Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations certifications. 

The members will undergo a newly designed and intensive 8-week training program. In addition to a department familiarization period, the training program will include daily physical fitness exercises, engine company operations, truck company operations, firefighter survival, search and rescue, rapid intervention team training, numerous live fire training evolutions and firefighter health and wellness. At the completion the training program, these six members will receive station and shift assignments.