Mansfield firefighter Charles Swank promoted to lieutenant
Lou Whitmire
Mansfield Fire Department promoted one of its own Thursday.
Mansfield firefighter Charles Swank was promoted to lieutenant Thursday at State No. 4, 1020 S. Main St.
Swank, 30, has been employed as a Mansfield firefighter since 2015.
Born and raised in Mansfield, Swank said he graduated from the Ohio State University with a major in psychology and a minor in biology.
He said he enjoys firefighting. He enjoys his family, saying they are "his everything." He enjoys being outdoors.
He looks forward to the leadership role.
He followed in his father's footsteps. Steve Swank was a firefighter at the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard Fire Department at Mansfield Lahm Airport and his dad served as volunteer firefighter for Washington Township Fire Department and worked at various private ambulance companies.
He and his wife Erika have two children.
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Mansfield fire Chief Steve Strickling said Swank has shown a lot of initiative and does a lot with the EMS Committee.
"He's shown a lot of initiative and it was not unknown to us that Charles was going to end up at some point in time getting promoted and it's exciting for us to see that that day is today," Strickling said.
Chief said the department currently employs 89 firefighters. A civil service test will be held Aug. 20 when more firefighters can apply.
lwhitmir@gannett.com
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