Inspections

An open letter from the Community Risk Reduction Bureau

I never have a fire – Why do I need the fire department? I pay a lot of taxes and I do not see any benefit to me.

Think of the fire department like an insurance policy. You pay toward the policy, hoping you never need it, but have that peace-of-mind that we will be there in your time of need.  And, like an insurance policy, you need to know what you are getting for your money.

The number one priority in this job is life safety. We will do all we can to save a life, from a fire or on an EMS call. That is our first and most important priority.

Our number two priority is the preservation of property. In your home – that would include your cherished belongings such as pictures and keepsakes. In your business, this would be valuable records, computer systems and saleable stock.

The Sylvania Fire-EMS Department uses the International Association of Fire Chiefs risk assessment and management guide for our risk assessment at the scene of a fire or other emergency, helping reduce needless firefighter death and injury.

  • We will risk our lives a lot, in a calculated manner, to save SAVABLE lives.

  • We will risk our lives a little, in a calculated manner, to save SAVABLE property.

  • We will Not risk our lives at all for lives or property that are already lost.

The job of life safety and property preservation actually starts with our fire prevention/risk reduction programs in the community. Through fire safety inspections in our commercial businesses, schools, hospitals, day-care centers and industrial buildings, and our risk reduction safety education programs presented throughout the community, the fire department is working diligently to keep our community safe from fire and promote a healthy lifestyle to our citizens.

Having a community that is prepared for disaster is a community that survives and grows. Preparing for a fire or disaster is paramount for a business. According to a study by Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 47% of businesses that experience a major fire or theft go out of business, 44% of companies that lose records in a disaster never resume business and 93% of companies that experience a significant data loss are out of business within five years. If an organization is fortunate enough to survive a disaster without a plan for recovery, it will not survive unscathed. Aside from the direct revenue losses incurred during the failure (fire, theft, disaster), the organization will also suffer intangible costs such as cash flow interruption, loss of customers, loss of competitive edge, erosion of image and reduced market share.

Being prepared. That is the job of the fire department to be able to assist you in your time of need. The goal of Fire Prevention/Risk Reduction is to assist businesses in reducing hazards that could contribute to starting a fire or cause an injury by preforming annual fire safety inspections. These inspections are required by law. The ultimate goal is to prevent a fire or hazardous condition from happening in the first place.

“I never thought it could happen to me”. These are words we do not want to hear, because they are words from someone who was not prepared.

Fire Marshal Shane Hillard
Fire Prevention / Community Risk Reduction

Pat Wambo

Fire Inspector

Part-time Fire Inspector Patrick Wambo started his fire service career with the City of Maumee Fire Division in March 1976 as a volunteer firefighter. From November 1976-March 1977, he completed EMT-A training at the former Medical College of Ohio at Toledo (MCOT). In March of 1977, he was appointed full-time with the city and attended MCOT’s Paramedic Program (the 4th class in the college’s history) - graduating in June 1977. He has completed fire service-related courses in Firefighter II, Hazardous Material Operations, Arson Level I & 2, Incident Safety Officer, Fire & EMS instructor, Certified Fire Safety Inspector, and Fire Safety Inspector Instructor. He held the Fire Protection Inspector (formerly Automatic Fire Sprinkler Inspector) Certification from the Ohio Board of Building Standards from 1998-2016. He attended and completed the National Fire Academy’s Fire Prevention Management Program, and in May 2004 graduated from Class 2 of the Ohio Fire Chief’s Association Executive Fire Officer Program. He also held the position of Safety Officer for the Maumee Fire Division. In 1991, for 1½ years, he worked between EMS runs and fire inspections and was promoted to Fire Prevention Chief in 1993. From 1994 until his retirement from the City of Maumee in April 2007, he was a member of the Lucas County Arson Task Force.

He was a Certified Fire Investigator through the International Association of Arson Investigators from 2001-2011. Inspector Wambo has continued to instruct a portion of the Certified Fire Inspector program at State Fire School since 2013. From April to September 2007, he was the first Training Coordinator for Owens Community College’s Emergency Training Center. On December 28, 2007, Inspector Wambo was appointed by the State Fire Marshal (SFM) as the Code Enforcement Chief for the Marshal’s office. This appointment was the first-ever SFM Bureau Chief selected from northwest Ohio. He was also an instructor for the Ohio Fire Academy’s Fire Safety Inspector course. In mid-2012, he retired as the Bureau Chief. From June 2013 to his retirement from full-time in December 2018, he was Fire Chief for the City of Waterville, Ohio. On June 20, 2020, he was hired as a part-time Fire Safety Inspector for Sylvania Township Fire Department and continues in that position today. Fire Inspector Wambo holds an associate degree in Fire Science Technology from Owen’s Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Cincinnati, and a master’s degree in public administration from Strayer University.

David Shutters

Fire Inspector

Fire Inspector David Shutters was appointed to the Sylvania Fire-EMS Department in May, 2005 as a volunteer firefighter. On July 8th, 2010 he was hired full time as a Firefighter/Paramedic and began his career at station 62. He spent most of his service time at stations 64 and 61. In January 2024 he became the department’s full-time Fire Safety Inspector. Fire Inspector Shutters attended Owens Community College and The University of Toledo. During his career Fire Inspector Shutters has obtained training in Paramedic, Firefighter II, Fire Inspector, Haz-Mat Awareness and Plan Review."

  • The Fire Prevention / Community Risk Reduction Bureau is under the direction of the Fire Marshal. The bureau is charged with three major tasks: 1) fire code enforcement, which includes the annual fire inspection of all commercial and institutional occupancies, and building plan review of new or revised construction, 2) public safety and prevention education, and 3) fire investigation.

    Code enforcement is primarily completed through building inspections, on an annual basis, which are completed by the on-duty engine and truck company crews. Having these crews complete fire safety inspections allows them to become more familiar with the buildings in the fire district, which helps them when responding to them for an emergency. These inspections help keep the residents of Sylvania safe by ensuring our area businesses are free of fire code violations and hazards. While conducting these inspections, fire department personnel may verify proper maintenance of fire protection equipment and the operation of fixtures such as smoke detectors, fire alarm systems and emergency lighting equipment.

    If you are a commercial building owner or business occupant in the City of Sylvania or Sylvania Township, you can expect a fire department inspector to visit your facility approximately once a year. This annual inspection is intended to support the building owner or occupant’s responsibility to maintain a fire code violation free business, and thereby we will all enjoy a safer Sylvania!

  • The Sylvania Fire-Ems Department participates in the national Knox Box® program and the new Knox HomeBox® program. The Ohio Fire Code allows the local fire department the option to require a key box on the property of a business. This is to allow the fire department access after-hours to gain entry to check on a fire alarm or sprinkler water-flow alarm without having to cause damage by “breaking-in”. The Knox Box® system is a secure key box that you purchase and place on your building at a location acceptable to the fire department. The local fire department is the only entity to have a key for this box. If needed, they can enter your building to check on an alarm without causing damage. There are Knox HomeBox® key boxes for residential occupancies also. The keys kept by your Sylvania Fire Department are secured in the fire engines and can only be accessed by our firefighters with a passcode which logs the time and name of who has accessed a key. Contact Knox Box or Knox HomeBox to order.

    If you have further questions, please give us a call at
    419-882-7676 ext.1670 or email Fire Marshal Shane Hillard.

  • Can a resident of the city or township have their home inspected?

    Yes. The fire department also performs residential home fire inspections. If a resident would like an inspector to evaluate the safety of a house they can call the fire department and set up an appointment for an inspector to come out. We will do the inspection with you, making suggestions on how one might make their home safer and to point out fire hazards that the homeowner may not be aware of.

    Does the fire department provide the service of checking smoke detectors?

    Yes. Again, at the request of the homeowner, a member of the fire department or an engine crew will come out to check smoke detectors. Senior citizens and handicapped individuals are the ones that most often use this service. The department will check for proper operation of the detector and in some cases even replace the battery or the entire smoke detector if it is over 10 years old. It is important to test your smoke detector at least once a month, clean your detector at least once a year, and replace the battery annually. Citizens can also contact the fire department if they have a question on the proper placement of a smoke detector. If you are a Sylvania City or Township resident and do not have a smoke detector, please contact the fire department. We will install one or more for you as needed. Give us a call right away. We do not want to see any homes in our Sylvania community without this device that could help save your life. 419-882-7676.

Have a question? Ask us here.

For Public Record Requests (Fire & EMS) Contact Julie at jdowling@stfd-oh.gov or 419-882-7676 ext. 1655

For inspection or public education requests contact Shane at shillard@stfd-oh.gov or 419-882-7676 ext. 1670

All other questions contact Jennifer at jhoward@stfd-oh.gov or 419-882-7676 ext. 1610