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Sworn to serve
YOUNGSTOWN
Mayor Jay Williams, in what likely will be one of his final acts as mayor, issued an oath of office from nine firefighters receiving promotions this week.
The nine men receiving promotions gathered, with their families, in the garage of the main fire station downtown Friday morning.
Fire Chief John O’Neill Jr. was on hand to administer new badges to those promoted after Mayor Williams issued the oath.
Timothy Frease, John Lightly, Destry Rush, Eli Santiago and Kurt Wright have all been promoted from lieutenants to captains.
Zakir Baraka II, James Goodlet and Craig Tershel have all been promoted from firefighters to lieutenants and Glen P. Walker has been promoted to inspector.
Captains in the department earn $62,071 annually. Lieutenants in the department earn $57,902 annually, and the inspector will start at $57,902 annually.
The swearing-in ceremony could be one of Williams’ last acts as mayor of the city.
He’s leaving office Monday, but he did not focus on that during the ceremony.
The mayor, instead, spoke about the dangerous and dedicated work of those in Youngstown safety services.
“The men and women in our safety services come to work every day to put their lives on the line for others ... as many run from danger, these men and women of the fire department are trained to put their lives on the line,” he said. “They stand in harm’s way for our citizens.”
Williams did briefly reflect on his nearly six years as mayor of the city, simply saying it has been an honor to serve the residents of Youngstown.
“I am appreciative that the citizens here afforded me the opportunity to serve as mayor. This [ceremony] is part of what the mayor does, never too busy to appreciate these men and women and their families,” he said.
O’Neill said the number of firefighters promoted this week is slightly higher than what is normally done at one time because the department has seen a higher number of retirements.
“It is an unusually big group to promote, but it is nice to get them in and do it all at one time,” he said.
The department last conducted promotions in May. O’Neill said two more firefighters likely will be hired at the starting rate of $24,000 once the latest civil-service test’s results have been certified.