Daniel L. Strayer new assistant fire chief for the Norwalk Fire Department.

Daniel L. Strayer Is the new Assistant Fire Chief for the Norwalk Fire Department. His appointment was announced by Mayor Dave Light. Strayer, a Castalia resident, has dedicated his life to fire service with more than 25 years of experience — 17 years in a supervisory/management role. Strayer currently serves as the assistant fire chief at Margaretta Township Fire Department. He is a State of Ohio Certified Professional Firefighter, State and Nationally Certified Paramedic, State Certified Fire Inspector, Certified Rescue Technician and is a Level IV Fire Officer. "There was a rigorous testing and evaluation process which yielded the top four candidates," Light said. "Mr. Strayer came out above all. I am confident in his ability to help lead the department. His vision will serve the department well. He will be a great asset and we are fortunate to have someone with Dan's caliber join the our team." "I am humbled and honored to have been selected to be the assistant fire chief of the Norwalk Fire Department," Strayer said. "I have trained and educated myself to prepare for this position. For this I thank an endless list of those that have supported me, coached me, and invested in me to reach my full potential. "As I move my career forward, I look forward to this new adventure with enthusiasm and a renewed sense of purpose. I will use this opportunity to embrace my potential and look forward to continuing the long and distinguished tradition and excellence of the Norwalk Fire Department. To accomplish this, I will rely on the fire chief, the members of the department, the citizens of Norwalk and the city administration to move the department toward the future. "I want to thank the administration for their support and trust in me to be part of such an amazing organization and community. My pledge is to continue my education and training to not only improve myself but those around me. My goal is to set up the department for success not just for the now, but for those that proceed us into the future." Fire Chief Ron Luttrell said "The Assistant Chief will be assigned to supervise and/or assist in several areas of the department. He will oversee daily operations of the department; including the fire prevention bureau activities, fire department training and will assume an administrative role within the fire department. With his extensive training and experience, Assistant Chief Strayer will be a welcomed and valued resource to assist incident response mitigation and incident scene management. We welcome Assistant Chief Strayer onto our team and into our Department." In September 2019, Norwalk City Council adopted legislation adding the position of assistant fire chief. The selection committee consisted of Safety Service Director Mike White, Fire Chief Ron Luttrell and Mayor Dave Light. Strayer will begin the newly created position on June 14, 2021.