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Rocky River swears in seven firefighters, promotes two officers as department expands
Summary
Rocky River officials promoted two officers and swore in five new firefighters July 27 as the city grows its fire workforce to meet rising call volumes; Chief Lenart called the night 'historic' and cited nearly 4,500 calls this year.
Rocky River swore in seven firefighters and promoted two officers during its July 27 legislative meeting as the city continues to expand fire department staffing.
Mayor Bobst presided over the promotions and swearing-in. Chief Lenart described a large increase in workload, saying the department handled about 1,700 calls when he started and is now "approaching 4,500 calls." He called the new staffing model and recent laterals a successful experiment that will better serve residents.
Captain Zachary Wallenhorst and Lieutenant Clayton Angeloff received promotions. At the ceremony Captain Wallenhorst thanked family members and retirees who mentored younger firefighters, saying the job ‘‘is an unbelievable career’’ and advising new personnel to "be positive" and "enjoy it." Lieutenant Angeloff urged new hires to "always be a firefighter first; the office will take care of itself."
Five new firefighters were sworn in: Cody Wright, Brandon Finamore, Jayme Strauss, De'Jonte Lawrence and Austin Steindl. Finamore, a lateral hire, said the opportunity was "lifechanging for me and my family" and vowed not to let the City down. Chief Lenart noted this staffing level has not been seen since the late 1960s and emphasized that most calls are medical — paramedic work makes up about 75% of the department's activity.
The Mayor praised the union and administration for partnering on the hiring effort and said Rocky River will continue to support the department with training, equipment and facilities.
