–by Mary Helen Darah
PUBLICATION DATE: July 17, 2018
In the months ahead, we will be highlighting the brave men and women of Sylvania who serve. Actor Denis Leary, who portrayed a firefighter in the series, ‘Rescue Me,’ once said, “What firefighters and people in our military and cops do is separate from what the rest of us do; basically, these people say, ‘I’m going to protect all these strangers.’” We are proud to honor our Sylvania heroes that protect, serve and who are the “first in and the last out.”
Chief Michael Ramm
Chief of Sylvania Township Michael Ramm has been involved with the Sylvania Township Fire Department for 37 years. His father was the last volunteer chief at the department on Holland-Sylvania Road and finished his career as Deputy Chief of station #2. Thanks to his father’s influence, Chief Ramm knew early on what career path he would take. He began as a volunteer in March of 1981 and assigned to station #2. “I began as a basic firefighter at the same station, received my EMT card, and haven’t looked back,” he recalled. “In 1995 I was hired full time, promoted to Lieutenant in 2001, promoted to Deputy Chief of Operations in 2013, and have served as Chief since 2017. My whole life, all I could talk about was becoming Chief of the Sylvania Fire Department. You set goals. You have dreams. My dreams came true and more. I am very lucky to be surrounded by great people that make me look good. I always looked up to my dad. It means a great deal to me to be following in his footsteps.”
Deep roots
Chief Ramm, a 1981 graduate of Southview High School, believes it is important to be involved the community. “It means everything to me,” he stated. “Right now, we are doing interviews for potential hires. I love hearing from applicants how they hear we are so involved in the Sylvania community. We assist with EMS coverage at the Marathon Classic, handle all the events at Centennial Terrace, including the fireworks, participate in the Sylvania Fall Festival and so much more. Fire Prevention Week, coming up in October will have over 3,000 people in attendance.”
Let’s get personal
Chief Ramm feels grateful to share his life with his wife, Maryann, for the past 30 years. They have a 28-year-old son, Jason, living in Toledo and son Cody, who is married and serving in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves in Alexandria Bay, N.Y. The Chief and his wife also have a 19-year-old daughter Courtney who is attending The University of Toledo in the College of Nursing. The family tries to spend every available moment at Wamplers Lake “That’s my release and making memories with my family time,” state Chief Ramm.
In the know
When the Chief was asked if there were anything he would like Sylvanians to know, he did not hesitate. “I would love to tell parents to have their children wear bicycle helmets. Also, it is vital to keep an eye on kids when they are near water. There have been some problems regarding water safety recently,” he stated. “It is also important to remind your kids of driving age, the importance of not being distracted.”
The Chief believes the best part of his job is that it allows him to interact with his crews and the community. “There’s a great deal more to this job than I ever could imagine,” he said. “It has been an awesome, eye-opening experience. The people I get to meet and work with have positively changed my life. It’s incredible. Every day I’m surrounded by amazing people.”