If you want to know what it takes to have a long and distinguished career as a firefighter, Robert Searles is a great example. At a recent Mentor City Council meeting, Searles received a proclamation recognizing his retirement after 37 years with Mentor Fire Department. Searles served the past 10 years as the department’s 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 whom he worked with over the years at Mentor and in partnership with other departments, reported The News-Herald’s Bill Tilton. “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 his role 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, where he is a longtime member and has served on several committees. Throughout his career, Searles has been actively involved in advancing school safety. He has testified at the Board of Building Standards as an 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 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. 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.” The News-Herald salutes Searles for his many noteworthy career accomplishments, as well as his dedication as a public servant. We hope he enjoys his retirement.