Finance committee reviews fire department report on possible bomb‑squad move from Mill Creek

The Cincinnati Finance and Budget Committee on June 13 reviewed a fire department report that analyzes relocating the city’s bomb squad from the Mill Creek site and outlines mitigation strategies.

The report, offered as Item 2 on the committee agenda, described possible options for temporary or permanent use of sites outside the city and identified operational and logistical hurdles. "The first one is a report from the fire department for potentially moving the bomb squad, and outlines some mitigation strategies," the report author said when presenting the item.

Why it matters: Committee members said the topic raises public‑safety and equity questions for neighborhoods that have hosted hazardous training and disposal. Several council members said they want to ensure any move would not degrade emergency response times for Cincinnati residents.

Discussion and concerns Councilman Mark Jeffries raised detailed questions about recent incidents and training needs, saying the record suggests "there have been three explosions in the last 18 months" and stressing the balance between safety and maintaining response capability and training. Another council member said, "What I do not want to see is another long timeline like what it took for the gun range," urging the city to act with urgency to avoid protracted delays for neighborhoods affected by disposal or training activities.

Staff said the report does not identify a single replacement site. It lists potential use of Sheriff locations in Hamilton County and Butler County but notes "there are some logistical issues that would have to be overcome," including response‑time and operational constraints.

Next steps and outcome Committee members agreed to file the report and to invite the fire chief and appropriate staff back to answer follow‑up questions about response times, training needs and mitigation options. The committee chair said he will schedule the fire chief and the fire department team to return in a future meeting.

Context and background Speakers repeatedly expressed concern about the perception that hazardous activities are being concentrated in Millville and Mill Creek neighborhoods. Council members asked staff to seek alternatives that would reduce community impacts without compromising emergency response or training requirements.

Ending The committee filed the report (Item 2) and directed staff to return with the fire chief and additional detail on potential alternative locations, logistics, and response‑time modeling.