Brimfield Fire Chief Craig Mullaly resigned at the township board of trustees' Sept. 8 meeting. The board accepted his resignation and hired then-Assistant Fire Chief Ron Goodspeed as his replacement.
According to the trustees’ statement on Brimfield’s Facebook account, Mullaly chose to step down because of personal and professional reasons, after serving as chief for 11 and half years.
This decision follows news that the city owed the city of Kent about $132,000 for its dispatch services and that trustees approved putting a five-year, 1.95-mill fire levy on the November ballot, due to the department’s financial struggles.
In May 2025, trustees nearly terminated Mullaly, but instead opted to suspend him for 10 days and offered him a three-year contract extension and a raise, as previously reported by The Portager.
Goodspeed said there were talks about Mullaly’s resignation, but he could not speak on any of the details surrounding it.
Having joined Brimfield Township’s Fire Department in October of 2010, Goodspeed served as a firefighter paramedic (a position he still retains), a lieutenant for five years and assistant chief for six years. Prior to working full-time at Brimfield’s department, he worked as a firefighter paramedic part-time at Rootstown Township’s Fire Department.
“I wanted to be a firefighter because I wanted to do something different every day and work with a group of people as a team and, ultimately, have a goal in helping people, and I thought [being a firefighter] would be the best path,” he said.
Mullaly’s resignation will be effective on Sept. 14, at which time he will take on the position of a lieutenant. That same day, Goodspeed will be sworn in as fire chief.
“I’m excited to step into the new role,” Goodspeed said.
He added that Brimfield residents can expect the same commitment to providing emergency services, but with a focus on supporting “personnel, maintaining excellent service and continuing to move the department forward.”
With Goodspeed assuming a new role, the trustees have decided to eliminate the assistant chief position and allow him to create a new command structure. This restructuring will remove the additional costs associated with the assistant position, according to the board’s statement.
In the same statement, the board shared its excitement to work with Goodspeed.
“The Board of Trustees remains committed to supporting our firefighters, being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensuring the Brimfield Township Fire Department continues to be a department our residents and community can be proud of,” the statement read.