3 firefighters take oath

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

Three township firefighters took an oath of service when they were officially hired or promoted during Monday’s trustees meeting.

Dave Schertzer was promoted to fire department captain; Fred Marcum was promoted to lieutenant; and Ricky Manning was hired as a full-time firefighter and emergency medical technician.

The ceremony was preceded by a video presentation about John Fritz, a fire captain who died in June 2016 while on duty.

Fritz was honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Md., and at the International Association of Fire Fighters’ Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colo. “Watching that makes you aware that you risk your lives every day,” Trustee Rick Stauffer said.

Trustees recognized Cody O’Connell, a 7-year-old from the township who created a community library for neighborhood children to use.

Cody also is using the library to collect blankets for homeless pets in the area. Blankets can be donated at the township building, 82 Ohltown Road.