ROSSFORD – When Rossford’s new fire chief Rick Syroka was asked what he’s learned over the course of his long career, he answered, “We’re here to be servants.”
Despite retiring from the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department in 2022, he continues to live by that motto, once again serving the Rossford community as its new fire chief. He was sworn into office on Feb. 10; the cherry on top of his 36 years of fire service.
Before accepting the leading role at Rossford Fire Station 29, Syroka worked as a fire school instructor at the Bowling Green State University Fire School.
“I was retired for a little over two years, and the city came knocking on my door and asked if I would give them a hand, and that’s what I chose to do,” Syroka said.
“Firefighters are problem solvers, and we get problems whether it’s in the engine house, [or] on the street. We like to solve problems and we like to use our hands to solve those types of problems,” Syroka said.
Syroka continues to problem-solve in his role as fire chief, and is using this skill to serve the community and his department.
“One of my goals is to make this a professional fire [department] that people will come and recognize and say, ‘Hey, I want to come to Rossford,’ or ‘I want to live in Rossford,’ not only for the fire service but for the community feeling as well,” Syroka said. “Rossford people have very high pride and respect for Rossford and the history of it, and I want to try to maintain that as much as I possibly can.”
This process of professionalization means Syroka is transitioning the department from part-time to full-time. Just a few weeks in office, Syroka has already hired eight new firefighters and would like to recruit more.
“We can provide a better service to the city and enhance firefighter safety if we can increase the daily staffing,” said assistant fire chief Ron Kay.
Syroka mentioned there seems to be less enthusiasm for firefighting jobs now than there were when he first became a firefighter.
“When I was taking tests [to be a firefighter], we had 3,500 people show up for a test, and now it’s very challenging to get people,” Syroka said.
In addition to increasing staffing, Kay said Syroka has been updating the facilities to support full-time firefighters who need space to sleep and eat. Kay said these improvements include updating the kitchen appliances and dorms.
“I always thought highly of the Rossford Fire Department, and I knew there was a lot of potential here, especially with a lot of the growth that we’re seeing in the Rossford community. So, I thought, yeah, I would like to come on board and help them in this transition,” Kay said.
Despite all the changes that come with transition, Syroka said he has received a lot of support.
“The administration from the mayor on down have been fantastic. They have worked with me and told me things that they can do and things that they can’t, but they have been wonderful to work with,” Syroka said.
