MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Fire Department has gained four firefighters, bringing its brigade to 93 members.
A ceremony was held Monday for the swearing in of firefighters Adam Compton, Joshua Krueger, Devin Ramey and Austin Yeater.
“We’re real excited about having these guys on board, and I think it’s going to make a big difference in the department makeup for years to come,” Fire Chief Steve Strickling said.
Compton, 21, said a career in firefighting has always been “on the back-burner” in his mind.
The Lexington High School graduate attended the University of Cincinnati where he studied mechanical engineering for a semester, ultimately deciding that wasn’t the route for him.
“Once I joined (the fire department) I realized this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” he said.
He’s looking forward to sharing the same workplace as his father, Capt. Dave Compton, who also serves with the Mansfield Fire Department.
Yeater’s father, Bryan Yeater, also serves with a department in the region, the Johnsville Fire Department.
“My dad’s always been a volunteer so that’s kind of what got me started,” the 20-year-old Northmor graduate said. “I kind of realized as a little kid — most little kids want to to do it — and I just continued to want to do it.”
Similarly, Ramey, 20, said his mother and father, Wendy and Lester Ramey, have served with the Plymouth Fire Department for 17 years.
Soon after graduating from Plymouth High School, Ramey got into the fire service, first in Plymouth and most recently with the Madison Township Fire Department.
Krueger, 21, of Florence Township, originally considered pursuing a career in law enforcement but had a change of heart when he began his EMT coursework, he said.
“I knew that that’s what I wanted to do as I started getting more of that education,” he said.
Krueger is looking forward to getting started with the Mansfield crew, which is larger than any of the departments he’s previously worked with, he said.
“It’s nothing like I’m used to with the departments that I’ve worked on up north, so that should be exciting,” he said.
