Page 24 - In Command Volume 18 - Ohio Fire Chiefs Association

Meet the Chief
Individual Introduction:
Name: Lou Ann Metz, OFE, NRP Years in the fire service: 36
Career “journey”: I began my fire service career in my hometown of Randolph, Ohio where I served as a vol- unteer. In 1985, I was hired in the city of Ravenna where I served for 5 yrs. In 1990, I was hired in Stow and retired in 2016 as a Division Chief. I also worked for Munroe Falls Fire Department from 1999 to 2007 when I was promoted to Division Chief in the city of Stow. In August of 2016, I was hired as the first full-time Fire Chief of the Bainbridge Township Fire Department in Geauga County.
Career Benchmarks: City of Stow: ISO Class I; Firefighter - 1990; Lieutenant – 2002; Captain -2005; Division Chief -2007; Fire Officer I, II, III; Ohio Fire Executive –Class 9 -2011; Summit County Hazardous Materials Team Technician – 1990-2007; Frank Giampetro EMS Educator of the Year -2008; Mayer Glimcher Outstanding Trauma Educator of the Year -2011
Area Demographic:
Bainbridge Township: Geauga County, Northeast, OH;
Population: 11,395; Area: 25.9 sq. mi; Rural, farming community with small amount of retail and industrial. Geauga Lake Amusement Park, Sea World and White Water Kingdom once located here.
Form of Government: Board of Trustees, Elected fiscal officer
Source of Funding: Fire Department: Levies, EMS Billing
Staffing: 48 Part-time employees; 3 Full-time employees – In the process of hiring our first 6 full-time firefighters
Organizational Structure: 1- Fire Chief; 2- Assistant Chiefs; 4- Captains; 4 – Lieutenants; 20 – Firefighters;
Minimum qualifications for entry level firefighters: All members are FF II
Total calls in 2016 – 1693: Fire Calls – 456; EMS Calls – 1237
Hiring good people is only half the battle. Specifically, what do you look for in hiring a new recruit, and once hired, how do you motivate your firefighters to perform effectively on a consistent basis?
I look for candidates with a strong desire to serve. They must possess strong core values – honesty, integrity, respect,
24 InCommand APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2017 • www.ohiofirechiefs.org