MANSFIELD — Brady Hitchcock didn’t have time to think, so he leapt into action.
“I was working as a water park manager (at Kalahari) and we had someone have a heart attack,” the 23-year-old recalled. “I was one of the first responders. I did CPR for like 20 minutes.”
“I had the training and the training just kind of kicked in.”
That was nearly three years ago, but it was a pivotal movement for Hitchcock.
“After that, I decided that I was going to pull the trigger and get into emergency medicine-slash-the fire service,” he said.
Hitchcock was sworn in as the newest member of the Mansfield Fire Department during a ceremony Tuesday morning. His father, mother and sister were in attendance.
Hitchcock graduated from Sandusky High School and trained as a paramedic at Cuyahoga Community College. He’s set to complete his training at Tri-C’s Ohio Fire Academy in May.
Chief Dan Crow said Hitchcock’s hire brings the department’s total staffing up to 90 full-time firefighters and paramedics. Its service area includes 30 square miles and more than 46,000 citizens, according to the city’s website.
“With recent retirements in the first part of the year that puts us three short of our authorized number,” Crow said.
“In our initial meeting with Brady, one of the things that really stood out was his maturity. He’s very well spoken. He’s got a good history of being a hard worker and a leader. His maturity and the way he carried himself really stood out, so we’re’ excited to see him bring that out team.”
Hitchcock said he heard about the job opening through a friend on the Mansfield Department. He’s the first person in his family to pursue a job in fire service.
“I’m just looking forward to helping people,” he said. “I’m ready to get to work.”
Assistant Chief Robert Garn said new fireman like Hitchcock bring a positive sense of youthfulness to the department.
“It always rejuvenates some of the senior members when we bring on young members that want to learn and train,” he said.
Safety Service Director Keith Porch agreed.
“(Hitchcock) is very eager. He has a passion for the fire service,” Porch said. “It’s a pleasure to welcome him aboard to, in my opinion, one of the best fire departments in the state. I wish him nothing the best in his journey.”