Cincinnati Fire Department

On Wednesday, June 17, the Cincinnati Fire Department said goodbye to one of our own. Hundreds of our members came together to honor Firefighter Ryan Zwick — made possible in part by the generosity of our Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky neighbors.

We would like to express our gratitude to the following communities who answered the call for Cincinnati, staffing our houses and standing ready to serve our residents while our Companies paid their respects:

Anderson Township, Ohio
Colerain Township
Covington, Kentucky
Deerfield Township
Delhi Township
Green Township
City of Hamilton, Ohio - City Hall
City of Harrison, Ohio - Government
City of Norwood Ohio
Springfield Township
St. Bernard, Ohio

And to every firefighter representing one of these communities who walked into a CFD station on Wednesday and said, "We've got it." — thank you. We are grateful for your willingness to serve alongside us in one of our hardest weeks.

Photos courtesy of An Authentic View.

It is with profound sadness that the Cincinnati Fire Department announces the line of duty death of Firefighter Ryan Zwick, who passed away on June 11, 2026, following a duty-related medical illness. He was 43 years old.

Firefighter Zwick joined the Cincinnati Fire Department on May 25, 2014, and served with dedication for more than twelve years. He spent the majority of his career at Station 35 in Westwood, one of the busiest response areas in our city, where he served on the Medic Unit, the Engine, and ultimately the Truck — answering the call in every capacity asked of him.

He gave this city everything he had, every shift, without hesitation.

Our thoughts are with his family, and with all those who lived life beside him.

Firefighter Zwick will be remembered and honored as a member of this department who died in the line of duty. We do not take that lightly, and we will not forget.

Rest easy, Ryan.

The Cincinnati Fire Department mourns the passing of retired Fire Chief Richard Braun, who died on June 4, 2026.

Chief Braun served the City of Cincinnati from 2011 to 2017, becoming the 14th Fire Chief in CFD's history and the first appointed from outside the department. He brought with him more than 36 years of distinguished service with the Columbus Fire Division, and gave six more to the people of Cincinnati — 42 years total devoted to the fire service.

During his tenure, Chief Braun was a steady and focused leader who championed the recruitment of women into the fire service, worked tirelessly to address department staffing, and guided CFD through significant reforms in the wake of the line-of-duty death of FAO Daryl Gordon. He believed deeply in the men and women who serve, once telling Recruit Class 115: "There are three things we hold dear: our faith, our family, and the Cincinnati Fire Department."

Chief Braun retired in April 2017 in good standing, praised by city leadership for his commitment to the department and the community it serves. He is remembered not only as an administrator, but as someone who fell in love with this profession and gave it everything he had.

Our thoughts are with his wife Sue, and his entire family, during this time.

Rest easy, Chief. The Cincinnati Fire Department will not forget your service.

CFD loves spending time with our smallest residents ❤️!

📸 1: Neighborhood kids in Elmwood jumped in to help the 38s load their hose back onto the truck, and insisted on a photo with the 38s and 8s before they left.

📸 2 - 4: Ladder 31 members presented to children at the UC Arlitt Child Development Center, where they learned about how to stay safe in situations with fire 🔥.