COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus City Councilman Travis Chambers bought lunch for the city's firefighters Friday, with meals delivered to every fire station in Columbus, according to a news release sent to Columbus Times. Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services runs 14 stations across the city, the department says on its website. Chambers also stopped by Fire Station 9 on Macon Road to thank the crew there in person.

At Station 9, each firefighter on hand received a custom challenge coin stamped "Chambers for Columbus," the release said. Fire cadets who are set to graduate next week received coins as well. The release did not say how many meals were delivered, what they cost or who paid for them.

"This hits close to home"

Chambers said the visit was personal because his son is a firefighter. "My son is a firefighter, so this hits close to home for me," he said in the release. "Today, I wanted to tell our firefighters directly, 'I appreciate you. Thank you for showing up for Columbus every day.'"

Photos from the visit show firefighters eating at folding tables in the Station 9 apparatus bay with a fire engine parked in the open door behind them. Chambers is seen shaking hands with crew members and posing with fire officers in white uniform shirts. In one photo he holds up a gold coin with a firefighter whose jacket is labeled "S. Sadler."

The release also included a short video of Chambers speaking outside the station, with the building's "Station 9" sign and a rescue truck behind him. Another photo shows him with a large group in Columbus Fire and EMS uniforms in front of a Georgia Search and Rescue truck. The release did not identify the people in the photos other than Chambers.

Who Chambers represents

Chambers represents District 10 on Columbus Council, according to the Columbus Consolidated Government website. Council members in Columbus vote on the city budget, which pays for the fire department, its stations and its equipment. The city lists his council phone number as 706-225-4988 and his email as [email protected].

Chambers is a real estate broker who founded ERA Elite Ventures Realty, according to his 2024 candidate profile on the Branch voter guide. The same profile lists earlier jobs as director of career resources at Synovus and human resources manager at TSYS. It also lists his priorities as entrepreneurship, community policing and affordable housing.

The department he thanked

Columbus Fire and EMS traces its history to 1831, according to the department's "Who We Are" page. The page says the department serves the region from 14 strategically located fire stations with nearly 400 personnel. Its crews provide advanced life support medical care in addition to fighting fires.

Station 9 sits at 4191 Macon Road, according to the city's fire station map data. The city's online map lets residents enter an address to find the closest station. The department also offers station tours, fire trucks for display at events and free smoke alarms through request forms on its website.

Cadets near graduation

The cadets who received coins Friday are due to graduate next week, according to the release. It did not give the date of the ceremony or the size of the class. Columbus Fire and EMS trains its own recruits through its training division, and its paramedic program reports its graduates' national exam results by class on the department's website.

The department's paramedic program enrolled 30 students in its 2024-2025 class and graduated 22 of them, according to the outcomes it posts online. Its 2022-2023 class graduated 18 of 20 students, the department said. Every graduate of the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 classes who reported back was working in the field, according to the same report.

Residents who want to thank firefighters at their own station can request a station tour through the Columbus Fire and EMS website. The department lists its nonemergency contact options on the same site. In an emergency, call 911.