By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
With his father, grandfather, 3 uncles as well as blood brother all working every bit metropolis firefighters, to a greater extent than or less mightiness enjoin John O’Neill was preordained to non solely locomote a metropolis firefighter, only also chief.
O’Neill said Thursday, however, that was non the case. It was his final twenty-four hours every bit a battalion principal at Station ii on Indianola Avenue, where he spent most of his career earlier taking over every bit burn downwards principal inwards 1998.
O’Neill said he studied to instruct a mechanical engineer as well as was genuinely working at that when he took a exam for the burn downwards department. It was inwards the wake of the steel mills closing as well as it was difficult to detect a job.
He took the test, scored seventh, was hired as well as forthwith thrown into the fray, fighting a burn downwards on his start shift.
That also changed his career path, he said. No to a greater extent than mechanical engineering; he was hooked on firefighting.
“I said, ‘This is for me,’” O’Neill said.
O’Neill was appointed principal inwards 1998 yesteryear old Mayor George McKelvey, as well as served until the halt of 2017, when he vacated the post to instruct a battalion chief. Barry Finley was tabbed yesteryear electrical flow Mayor Jamael Tito Brown to receive got his place.
As a firewoman climbing through the ranks as well as every bit chief, O’Neill presided over to a greater extent than or less of the busiest times inwards the department’s history. There were a lot of people losing homes or businesses as well as they were setting fires for insurance money, he said, every bit good every bit the glut of vacant homes the metropolis had that were also catching fire.
“It was off the charts. We’re talking nigh several fires a shift,” O’Neill said.
The firefighters themselves are also different, O’Neill said. He said novel firefighters who bring together the subdivision are good trained earlier they join. When he started, O’Neill said, he had no formal training. It was expected that he would mash inwards preparation piece he was working.
“Now, yous can’t fifty-fifty hire mortal unless they’re trained,” O’Neill said.
He said he thinks his greatest accomplishment is that he was able to “protect the ranks.” When he took over every bit chief, at that spot were 126 firefighters as well as 10 trucks. When he left every bit chief, at that spot were 127 firefighters as well as 10 trucks.
“In a lot of desperate times, nosotros got through every i of them as well as protected the ranks,” O’Neill said.
He stressed that, inwards the electrical flow climate when stations are beingness unopen on a rotating terra firma as well as trucks left unstaffed because of the city’s fiscal crisis, firefighters must never purchase into the fact that they are a liability.
“We are a necessity,” O’Neill said. “We are an insurance policy as well as nosotros receive got a proven rails record. We salve lives as well as property.”
As for his future, O’Neill said his No. 1 destination inwards retirement is to pass fourth dimension alongside family.
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