Marietta's Newest Firefighter Is Sworn In

MARIETTA, OH — Yesterday was a great day for the Marietta Fire Department, they became whole again with the swearing-in of Roger Lemley. The department had been understaffed since the recent retirement of Jack Walters. Walters had been with the department for more than three decades.

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Lemley says that he's glad to be a part of the fire department. "Feel's good. It took a lot of hard work to get here." He's spent years training and taking classes to get to this point. While technically a probationary firefighter, he has been on real-life calls before as a volunteer firefighter. "I also did five years in the Marine Corps. I've been a paramedic for five years now." He says this was the goal he was always working towards.

Mayor Josh Schlicher did the swearing-in. He says there are some more steps before Lemley will go out on calls. "He will enter the Ohio Fire Academy as a member of the fire department and complete his training." Once completed, he'll be out there as a paramedic and firefighter.

Assistant Fire Chief Rodney Scott says Lemley will start the fire academy on May 16. "Up in Reynoldsburg Ohio. That is a 10-week course. Roger already has his paramedic so he doesn't have to go to any EMS training." Lemley just needs to get his firefighter 1 & 2 certification. "Then he's ready to come back and work for us." Scott says they're looking forward to having him on the team. "We have a civil service test, Roger took it and was number one on our list. Did great in his interview. He has a lot of training, already has his paramedic, he also has a degree in fire science."

Fire Chief C.W. Durham says this brings them back up to full staff. "He'll come back in late July being fully trained and start as a member of our department at that point." The department had been down to 35 employees, adding Lemley brings them back up to 36.

Lemley is from Belpre, but he lives in Marietta now. "Honestly, I'm just glad to be here now, glad to be on the team." He says he's looking forward to a long career with the Marietta Fire Department.

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