A changing of the guard: Kent welcomes new fire chief

KENT − Many things have changed in firefighting since James Samels first was sworn in to the Kent Fire Department in 1997.

Samels, who was sworn in as Kent Fire Department's chief in January, cited the number and type of calls the department receives as an example.

Samels was promoted after serving as acting chief since spring 2023. He took over from Bill Myers, who retired at the end of 2023 after 34 years with the Fire Department.

Samels, 50, of Stow leads a staff of 36 firefighters who serve Kent, Kent State University, Franklin Township and Sugar Bush Knolls.

Shawn Baynes, captain of the Kent fire department, commended the new chief. They have worked more than 24 years in the fire department.

"I think the chief has done a good job," Baynes said. "He's one of those guys you can talk to, no matter what the topic. You will get an honest and fair answer. He's a great mentor."

Samels said about three-quarters of the calls of calls to Kent Fire Department are for medical services, from the EMS service.

"Safer building codes have led to fewer fire calls," Samels said. "But the aging population, and, with that, the increase in heart attacks, diabetes-related problems, that's led to higher numbers of EMS calls."

The care patients get even before they reach the hospital also has improved, Samels said.

"They just don't scoop you up and drop you off at the hospital anymore," he said.

All Kent firefighters are trained as EMTs.

Stow Fire Chief Mark Stone said he has known Samels personally and professionally.

"Chief Samels and I have had children in the same school system, and even on the same swim team, in the past," Stone said. "He’s always been a positive force for the fire service and in everything else that he involves himself in."

Stone said he was excited to work with Samels.

"The modern era of emergency services requires that we know and train with our neighbors in order to be safe and efficient whenever we are called upon for, or request, mutual aid," Stone said. "It is nice to know that I can text or call him to resolve issues or thank Kent Fire Department for their help in a recent emergency situation. Keeping lines of communication open with other chiefs is imperative to being a good neighbor, and he has always been great at that."

Education, training keys to modern firefighting

Samels said another change is the number of firefighters who have four-year degrees. Samels himself has been working to obtain a bachelor's degree in fire administration through Bowling Green State University.

"Eight more classes left, and then I've got it," he said. He was working toward the degree earlier, before he joined Kent Fire Department.

Technology and equipment also have improved, making it safer and more efficient for firefighters to do their jobs, Samels said. For example, each firefighter in Kent has a specially fitted face mask with Bluetooth technology to make it easier to communicate at scenes.

"The equipment has changed so much," Samels said.

He pointed out, though, that the improved equipment comes at a cost. Samels said the COVID-19 pandemic and the inflation that followed, as well as supply shortages, have increased the price tag of everything from gear to vehicles. A single firefighter uniform and equipment costs $5,000, and new fire trucks can cost $2 million.

Samels said replacing the department's oldest active ladder truck, which was built in 1994, is among his goals. It's still serviceable, he said, pointing out that it had a prominent place in the Star of the West mill complex fire in December 2022.

"We don't want to put these off too long," Samels said, referring to older vehicles, adding that with continuing shortages, it can take several years to receive a new fire truck.

Training, too, has changed. For example, the staff's continuous exercises include saving structures and city residents, but also one another in the event of firefighting disasters.

Respect from Kent's residents

Firefighters enjoy a high level of public respect, Samels said. Once, he and other firefighters responded to an outbuilding on fire. It served as a woodworking shop for the man who lived at the property. By the time firefighters arrived, there was little they could do to save the structure.

"I remember it was pouring down rain," Samels said. "It was the middle of the night. The wife felt bad for us and came out, offering us brownies she had made and drinks. They were losing their shed, but they were more worried for us."

Firefighting a team effort

Samels said his great-grandfather had served as a firefighter in Minnesota, but he never had the chance to meet him. He has a younger brother who works for the Akron fire department. However, he added that his grandfather's choice to work at a fire department had little influence over his choice to enter the field.

One thing Samels said he enjoys about serving on the fire department is the camaraderie. While standing in the room where firefighters keep their turnout gear used to battle fires, Samels pointed to a memorial for one of Kent's firefighters, Don Beckett, who died in 2011 from complications of esophageal cancer. He said Beckett, with this tribute, will always be remembered.

"When we work those long shifts together, we become a family," Samels said. "These traditions and the culture, that's what makes the job such a part of your life."

Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: New technology has made firefighting safer, says new Kent fire chief