Steubenville lost a good firefighter and department head Tuesday when Terri English officially retired as the city's fire chief.
English had a firsthand look at plenty of change in the city and its fire department during her nearly 28 years of service. She became Steubenville's first female firefighter in the early 1980s, and assumed the chief's duties in 2001.
She admits that there was a great deal of skepticism about hiring her as a firefighter. English proved she was capable of doing the job and earned the respect of the other members of the department while serving at the Pleasant Heights and West End fire stations.
As chief, she has worked hard to obtain grants, and is credited with bringing $1.3 million to the department. that money has helped keep the city's firefighters properly equipped for the demanding jobs they do. She also helped to keep track of the ever-growing number of rules and regulations that firefighters must work under
There are no immediate plans to name a successor to English. City Manager Cathy Davison has said that for now the chief's duties will be split among the three assistant chiefs, Carlo Capaldi, Mike Taylor and Sam Ivkovich.
We wish English well in her retirement, and join with other residents and city officials in thanking her for working to keep us safe.
