Sunday , 16 February 2025

Letter to the Editor: Matthew Spears, Certified State of Ohio Volunteer Firefighter

As I committed to in my candidacy release, I am proud to report that I recently attended, passed, and became a Certified State of Ohio Volunteer Firefighter via the EHOVE volunteer forty (40) hour course on 02/07/2024. My assigned Ohio Certification number is 0197298 and is verifiable at the following web site: https://services.dps.ohio.gov/EMSProviders/Verification. I would like to thank the EHOVE staff and instructors for a very informative and educational course. It was five (5) days of structured instruction and intense real-life, practical exercises and training.

I was inspired to pursue this path based on the on-going disagreement between the Board of Commissioners (Moore and Riddell) and the vast majority of the First Responder Community over the choice for a county-wide radio communication system. I believed by attending the course and becoming a certified volunteer firefighter, I would gain an even better understanding than I currently have as to why first responders select the equipment they need. The why is now very clear. The first responders are truly the boots on the ground subject matter experts and these heroic men and women deserve the very best, up-to-date equipment that has their confidence that it will perform flawlessly in the time of need.

Based on my recent experience at EHOVE, my respect for those who work in the first responder community is higher than ever. As a second phase of increasing my first hand knowledge of the needs of First Responders, I plan to complete scheduled ride-a-longs with law enforcement and fire departments. My objective is to gain further knowledge and experience so that if I am elected County Commissioner, I can make knowledge-based, user-driven decisions for the betterment and safety of the First Responder Community and the residents they protect. I challenge any elected official or anyone running for a county office to do the same.

Sincerely,

Matthew P. Spears

Candidate for Lorain County Commissioner

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