John Lahmon promoted to fire captain

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Just five months ago, John Lahmon was a firefighter with the Van Wert Fire Department. On Monday, the 19-year department veteran officially received the second of two promotions, this time to captain, during a ceremony held in Van Wert City Council Chambers.

Lahmon, who was promoted to lieutenant on August 5, 2010, thanked his colleagues on the VWFD’s Shift 3 for helping him with the captain’s test “and my wife for putting up with me” after being sworn in to his new position by Mayor Louis Ehmer.

Lahmon’s daughter, Morgan, held the Bible while he was sworn in and also pinned his new badge on him.

Captain Lahmon prepared for the promotion by completing coursework in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Incident Management System to the 400 level, completed the Ohio Fire Academy’s course on “Managing the Initial Company Response” and recently completed the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association’s Fire Officer 1 program.

Lahmon is the son of Patricia Lahmon and the late James “Sam” Lahmon and a 10-year veteran of the Ohio National Guard, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. He began his fire department career in 1991 when he was hired by then Fire Chief Ron Rank. He is certified as a Firefighter Level 2 from the Ohio Fire Academy, obtained his paramedic certification from Lima Technical College and is also certified as a hazardous materials technician, confined space rescuer and fire inspector.

Captain Lahmon, who will move from Shift 3 to Shift 2, replacing retiring Captain Frank Hoffman, is the fire department’s lead instructor in high angle rope rescue and ice rescue, holding technician certification in each of those disciplines.

He is a 1982 graduate of Van Wert High School and he and his wife, Andrea, have two other children in addition to Morgan: Cory and Alixandria.