David Swope To Become Avon's New Fire Chief

AVON, OH — David Swope will become Avon's new fire chief this week.

Mayor Bryan Jensen will swear Swope in as the new fire chief on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Avon Fire Department.

For the past nine months, Swope has been assistant fire chief for the Avon Fire Department. He said this experience has trained him to accept and welcome change.

“Change is inevitable and I think a lot of people fight it, but I look at it as a goal to reach, something to set my sights on. That is why I love this city and this department, because everything is so new and ever changing it challenges us all to keep up and excel," Swope said in a statement sent to Patch.

As he looks to the future, Swope said many of Avon Fire Department's current priorities will remain the same, namely upgrading the radio communications system, replacement of old harnesses, retrofitting patient compartments onto a new squad chassis, and construction of a new training tower.

“But more than just things I want to focus on the members, their goals and dreams, and how they fit into the goals and dreams of the fire department," Swope said. “Our members are what make the Avon Fire Department great and allows us to provide the best service to the City of Avon.”

Swope began his career as a firefighter in Avon in 2001. He has been a paramedic, a fire and EMS instructor, and holds certificates in specialty rescues, like dive and swift water rescue, trench collapse, structural collapse, wide area search and confined space rescue. He also leads the Lorain County Water Rescue and Response Team and is part of the Lorain County Technical Advisor Board.