Strayer new fire chief

NORWALK — Daniel L. Strayer is the new fire chief for the city of Norwalk. Norwalk Mayor Dave Light made the announcement Wednesday morning. This appointment follows the completion of the nearly four-month long selection process by the Fire Chief Selection Board. Strayer has more than 29 years of combined experience firefighting and EMS services and has served the last two years as assistant chief of the Norwalk Fire Department. In addition, he has been acting chief of the department since February. His experience as a firefighter spans both firefighting and administrative positions and is supplemented by his experience as a fire level II and CE instructor. Dan is also certified as a rescue technician and a HAZ-MAT technician officer and safety officer position. The Fire Chief Selection Board, appointed pursuant to City Ordinance, conducts the selection process when vacancies exist in the position of fire chief, and ultimately selects the successful candidate. Also pursuant to the Codified Ordinances, Light will appoint the candidate so selected by the board. "I am truly grateful for the hard work that the Selection Committee put into this task," Light said. "It was an intense process, and it is apparent that their hard work paid off. I have had the pleasure of working with acting chief Strayer over the last two years. He is a highly qualified individual who has earned the respect of his peers and our community. He will continue to serve our city well." Strayer will assume his position immediately upon being sworn into the office at 9 a.m. Friday. "It was nice to sit back for almost two years with Chief (Ron) Luttrell here to watch and learn," Strayer said. "I think we've got the rudder going in the right direction to move forward but we all have to work together. And I think we can. "They want to see the department move in a positive direction and I am looking forward to being the facilitator. A leader is only as good as the people under him." Strayer and Norwalk Capt. Brett Beers were finalists for the job. When Strayer came almost two years ago as assistant chief Luttrell was new on the job as chief before he suddenly resigned. "Absolutely no clue," Strayer said. "Deep down inside his plan was to stay a few more years. Then, go from there. The way things worked out it wasn't meant to be. It put me in the mindset of what needed to be done. Sit back, watch and listen. With chief Luttrell being here it did help me move into this position. It gave me time to learn the department ... I got to know the guys on a personal and professional level. "I got to know the administration, other department heads, citizens and business owners. Looking forward to continuing that." Strayer, 51, will have 25 years as a fulltime firefighter in August of 2025. That is when he will be eligible to retire, but he said he has no plans for that. "I am not going anywhere for at least seven years," he said. "I am hoping that allows me to set the department to let people attain the goals they want to achieve. Set it up for somebody who wants to take over my job whenever I leave. "What better way to reward an employee than to provide the means to allow them to my position eventually and become fire chief." Strayer lives in Castalia with his wife, Sarah, and daughter Addison, an eighth-grader at Margaretta. The Strayers have a 28-year-old son, Zach, who lives in Delaware, Ohio, with his wife, Maddison. Zach is a policeman in a hospital and Maddison is a firefighter in Columbus. "I've found a good home here," Strayer said. "Maybe we will start looking for a plot of land. I have absolutely no plans to go anywhere else."