The Oct. 1 Mentor City Council Meeting wasn’t just any ordinary Tuesday night gathering of officials to discuss city matters. Then again, according to many of those in attendance, there is nothing ordinary about Mentor Fire Chief Robert Searles as a leader or a man. A big crowd of Searles’ family, friends and colleagues from Mentor and from other departments filled council chambers as a proclamation was presented recognizing his retirement effective Oct. 3 after 37 years with Mentor Fire and the last 10 as chief. Deputy Chief Ron Zak has been appointed acting chief until the full hiring process of replacing Searles is completed. Searles was surprised and humbled by the outpouring of support and kind words, especially by Council President Sean Blake and City Manager Ken Filipiak, and was somewhat emotional thanking his family and colleagues who he worked with over the years at Mentor and in partnership with other departments. “I’m honored, but this has always been a team effort,” Searles said after receiving a standing ovation and his proclamation. “We have a great fire department in Mentor and it is a great city to work for with such support. I have been blessed to be a small part of a department that keeps such a large community safe.” According to a news release, Searles’ public safety career began in 1982 as a police officer with the city of Lyndhurst. He joined the Mentor Fire Department as a part-time firefighter/paramedic in 1987 and went full-time with the department a year later. Over his 37-year career with the city he has held every rank within the Mentor Fire Department, being appointed chief in 2014.  Searles is the only member of the department to achieve that. In addition to serving as fire chief for the last 10 years, Searles served as the Lake County fire coordinator and president of the Lake County Fire Chiefs’ Association, with which he is a long-time member and has served on several committees. Throughout his career Searles has been actively involved in advancing school safety. He has testified in front of the Board of Building Standards as a strong advocate for changes in the state building and fire code for improvements in school safety. He also served as a member of the Ohio Attorney General’s School Safety Task Force where he was successful in guiding the committee to include Fire and Emergency Medical Services as a key component in school safety planning and training. Under his leadership, Mentor’s Rescue Task Force concepts have led the region in critical incident response training and tactics and have been emulated upon by several northeast Ohio Fire Departments. Searles has also significantly enhanced instruction in Incident Command and Hazard Zone Management throughout Lake County. “I’ve been lucky to work with the men and women of the Mentor Fire Department as well as neighboring departments and chiefs who have always supported us and make Lake County one of the top public safety communities anywhere in the state,” Searles said. “To city council, I want to express my gratitude for always supporting us. And to the residents of Mentor, thank you for supporting the department with the fire levy and everything the residents have done. It has been an honor to serve them.” According to the release, among his many accolades, Searles was named Firefighter of the Year in 2014 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and in 2021 was awarded the Pennant of Gratitude from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Division of EMS. He was an integral part of planning and organizing vaccination clinics for Lake County during the H1N1 crisis and the COVID 19 pandemic. The success of the vaccination programs in Lake County was showcased with Health and Human Services officials in Washington, DC, by Dr. Carol Cunningham, the state’s EMS medical director. “I have been the fire chief in Painesville for a little over five years, and I have enjoyed being able to work side by side with Chief Searles at various emergency scenes during this time,” Chief Thomas Hummel said. “Chief Searles was especially involved with the efforts of the Fire Service in Lake County during the COVID pandemic, especially in the aspects of public vaccinations and care of first responders. “Chief Searles’ integrity and care for his personnel, the fire service and the public he served was apparent in every conversation or meeting he was a part of,” Hummel added. “He has set the Mentor FD on a path of greater success and while he will be missed, his legacy will live on in those he has mentored throughout Lake County. It is my hope that he will keep in touch with those of us he served with, as he was certainly an asset to me as a new fire chief.” Willoughby Hills Fire Chief Rob Gandee said he has known Searles for 34 years and served under him while working at Mentor Fire. “My first interaction with him was when he was a career firefighter and I was a fire explorer with the Mentor Fire Department,” Gandee said. “When he was a deputy chief, he was my boss when I was in the fire prevention and then training and safety division. He has always had a very strong work ethic and kept the citizens the first priority. He has made a career of caring greatly for people. “He has worked to come up with solutions and compromises for an array of problems,” Gandee added. “He is a dedicated family man that greatly cares about his family. I consider Chief Searles as one of my fire service fathers. I have learned a great deal from Chief Searles over the years, who has a vast experience and knowledge of every aspect of the fire service. He has been a great teacher, mentor and confidant to me. His knowledge, wisdom  and experience has helped me in my position of fire chief  with the Willoughby Hills Fire Department. “He has been a respected leader of the fire service and will be missed.” Filipiak praised Searles for his kind nature as a person as well as his professionalism. “I have had many people come to me and say hiring Chief Searles was the best decision you ever made. I tell them it was the easiest decision I ever made,” Filipiak said. “Bob Searles has made an indelible mark on this fire department and this community. He is the consummate public servant and he will be greatly missed.”