Columbus swears in six new firefighters
The Columbus Fire Department is fully staffed again after the mayor swore in six new firefighters yesterday.
According to the department, the new firefighters included:
- Cody Ghuman, Adler Yentz and Enrique Josmar Callejas Santos, all of Columbus
- Benjamin Bonyhay of Greensburg
- Benjamin L. Peek of Seymour
- Roy A. Schuder of Hope
The new members will now go through an 8-week training program and a department familiarization period. After that the six new members will receive their station and shift assignments.
Backgrounds of the new firefighters:
Bonyhay, 25, is a Greensburg 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.
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.
Peek, 30, is a Seymour 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.
Callejas Santos, 22, is a Columbus resident and 2023 graduate of Edinburgh Community High School. Callejas 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.
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.
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.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department