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SYLVANIA TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT
Fire Chief Jeffrey Kowalski
 Chief Jeffrey D. Kowalski began his fire service career as a Firefighter/EMT on April 16 1978. He attended paramedic school at The Medical College of Ohio and received his certification as a paramedic in June of 1979. Jeff was assigned to Station #1 where he worked as one of the original 12 paramedics assigned to the Life Squad. On July 9, 1995 he was promoted to Lieutenant and given the task of coordinating the fire department's and EMS training programs. Jeff was promoted to Deputy Chief on October 23, 2003 and was placed in charge of operations, training and safety. His duties involved supervising the day to day operations of the department as well as the training and safety of all personnel. On October 1, 2010 the Sylvania Township Trustees appointed him as the interim Fire Chief and on January 1, 2011 Assistant Chief Kowalski was appointed to position of Fire Chief for the township and city of Sylvania. Chief Kowalski is active in many community organizations and serves on numerous boards. Jeff has been married to his wife Mary for 36 years. They have two children and three grandchildren.
 In January, 2010, the Sylvania Township Board of Trustees hired Retired Battalion Fire Chief, John M. Lee, a 26-year veteran of the District of Columbia Fire Department. Chief Lee serves as the Deputy Fire Chief (DFC) of Fire Operations in the Sylvania Township Fire Department. His responsibilities as the DFC-Operations include the management, staffing and supervision of the fire division. At the direction of the Fire Chief, John has formed a working policy group to review and update the outdated rules and regulations of the fire department. Chief Lee also has been tasked to work with the department fire training and safety office to develop and implement an internal training curriculum designed to evaluate and measure the job knowledge and efficiency of personnel at various levels of experience. The DFC-Operations liaisons with the emergency vehicle operations service technician to maintain the operational readiness of all apparatus and equipment necessary to serve the Sylvania community. Deputy Chief Lee is committed to improve the delivery of service through positive career development, effective fire ground operation and incident management, educational opportunities and focused training. On a personal note, John travels to Maryland, Virginia and Missouri to relax with family. He enjoys sharing his time with his girlfriend Darlene and her two daughters, his three grown children and three beautiful grandchildren.
Deputy Chief Michael Froelich
 Chief Froelich was hired as a fire fighter/EMT-Basic for Sylvania Township Fire Department in March of 1988. He was promoted to Lieutenant for STFD in November of 2001 and then as Deputy Chief in July of 2011. Mike previously served on his hometown fire department near Defiance, as a volunteer and a full-time fire fighter. Deputy Chief Froelich has continued to keep abreast of changes in the industry and learn new techniques throughout his career by attending courses at the Ohio Fire Academy, National Fire Academy, as well as state and national conferences and is currently working on completing his degree at Columbia Southern University. The fire prevention field is a niche that Deputy Chief Froelich has enjoyed throughout his fire service career. Educating young children in fire safety, as well as being safe in all they do, is imperitive. Turning the “Fire Prevention Bureau” into a “Risk Reduction Bureau” is a goal that is starting to be realized. This goal works to keep our community, citizens and visitors safe. It not only includes fire safety, but it also includes prevention of injuries and health related issues. Mike resides in Sylvania and has been married to his wife, Jennifer, for 20 years. They have 4 children in college and the Sylvania school system.
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Fire Safety and Training Officer Scott Smith
 Captain Scott Smith, a 20 year veteran of the Sylvania Township Fire Department, serves as the Department’s Fire Training and Safety Officer. As the Fire Training Officer, Scott is responsible for developing, scheduling and implementing training activities for all full-time (career) and part-time (supplemental) personnel. As the Department Safety Officer, he is responsible for implementing an overall safety program for firefighting operations. Captain Smith will investigate and review all incidents involving on-duty personnel injuries, near-misses and vehicular accidents, and will coordinate the after action reviews of major incidents. Captain Smith is a State of Ohio Fire Instructor and Certified Fire Safety Inspector. He is a current member of the Northwest Ohio Urban Search and Rescue Team, and holds several certifications in specialized disciplines, to include rope, trench and structural collapse rescue. Scott has been married to his wife, Susan, for 20 years and has three children.
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