By Kelly Doran
Sun staff
The Miami Township Fire/EMS Department promoted firefighters for the first time since 1999 on April 21, with the exception of Chief Steve Kelly’s promotion.
Three firefighters were promoted to station lieutenant during a ceremony at the Miami Township Trustees meeting.
“They’re our next generation of leaders. They’re the leaders that we’re going to promote to take us into the future. They’re going to share your goals, your desires, the things that you want to do for the community,” Kelly said.
To become lieutenants, Daniel Berkebile, Jeffery Childers and Ross Pawlak had to go through a lengthy process and rigorous testing, Kelly said. The men were chosen out of 20 candidates.
During the ceremony, Berkebile, Childers and Pawlak’s wives took off their old badges and pinned on new badges, with a bugle symbol on it. The bugle represents the days when firefighters communicated with a bugle, Kelly said.
Today the bugle represents moving up in the department and becoming a leader, Kelly said.
The new lieutenants were also presented with new, red helmets. Most members of the department currently wear black helmets, Kelly said.
Because the helmets offer protection, it is tradition for the lieutenants’ loved ones to present them with the helmets. Berkebile and Childers’ sons and Pawlak’s brother gave them the helmets.
To end the ceremony, Joe Braun, the township’s law director, administered the oath.
All the new lieutenants will be assigned to the central station for 60 days, where they will undergo rigorous mentoring and orientation, Kelly said.
Pawlak feels it is an honor to be promoted.
“We all are striving to continue to push our organization to become the best fire department we can be,” Berkebile said.
The lieutenants hope to lead by example and be accountable, Pawlak said.
Pawlak has been with Miami Township since 1997 and Berkebile since 2001. Childers joined in 1986 with Miami East, which later merged with the Township fire department.