|
Chief Brian Byrd Takes the Reins of the Fire and Rescue
Department
By Fletcher Word
Sojourner’s Truth Editor
Battalion Chief Brian Byrd
and his family were on the verge of announcing his
retirement at the end of the year and move to Louisiana when
he got the call from Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz asking the
31-year Toledo Fire Department veteran to postpone those
plans, stay in Toledo a little longer and lead the
department he has devoted his adult life to.
“I’m blessed to be handed
the reins to a fire department that is the best in the
country in my opinion,” said Toledo Fire and Rescue
Department Chief Byrd after he was sworn into his new job on
Friday August 3 in the One Government Center City Council
Chambers before an overflow and raucous audience of Safety
Department employees, family members, city employees and
department friends. Frequent standing ovations punctuated
the ceremony as those in the room celebrated the transition.
The mayor opened the
ceremony by announcing that “this is a celebration of two
gentlemen.” The outgoing Chief Louis Santiago, observed
Kapszukiewicz, had joined the fire department when he was
only 21 years old and “has known nothing in his adult life
other then serving the citizens as a firefighter.”
“I have learned lessons
from you I will carry the rest of my life,” said the mayor
of his relationship with the outgoing chief and due to
Santiago’s conscientiousness “we have had the most
professional transition I could have imagined,” added
Kapszukiewicz.
As for the incoming chief,
“I have always been impressed by his skills, demeanor and
community involvement. He will lead the department into the
future with a spirit of innovation, fairness, vision and
energy,” said the mayor.
|
