MANSFIELD — Friends and families gathered in downtown Mansfield on Monday morning to welcome seven new members to the Mansfield Fire Department.
Tyler King, Collin Reed, James McPherran, Matthias Boland, Jacob Maddy, Andrew Householder, and Kason Antrican completed their five-month fire school training and were sworn into Mansfield’s Department.
“You are now a member of one of the best fire departments in the country,” Mayor Jodie Perry told the young men.
For Kason Antrican, this next step is about giving back and serving his community. The 2023 Lucas High School graduate started as a volunteer firefighter in Lucas before completing EMT school and fire school.
“My father passed away and that drove me to want to help my community and the people I love,” Antrican said.
The class work is finally over for these men and it is time to get to work protecting Mansfield’s community, officials said.
Mansfield Fire Chief Dan Crow is approaching two years as the city’s fire chief, and works hard to make sure his men are ready for anything. Coming in as a new chief to work with both veterans and rookies alike might have its challenges, but Crow keeps his approach simple.
“It all comes down to communication,” Crow said. “It starts with me leading by example. You need to demonstrate the respect you want your men to have towards you and also the community they’re serving.
“If you show them respect, it’ll trickle down to the men.”
