Fire department gets new lieutenant

By Melissa Martin

Aug. 20 city council meeting

After Mark Bender became fire chief this summer, Brecksville City Council unanimously approved the promotion of firefighter/paramedic Matthew Sternad to lieutenant, Bender’s former position.

Sternad was one of three finalists for the position, following a civil service examination and a first round of interviews. The other finalists were also Brecksville firefighter/paramedics and like Sternad, grew up in Brecksville.

“Landing on Matt was probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make [since taking over as mayor],” Mayor Daryl Kingston said, lauding the other finalists for rallying around Sternad’s appointment.

Sternad has worked for the Brecksville Fire Department for 14 years. He started as part of the department’s Explorer program, which is for students in high school, in 2010 while he was still a student at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School. He was hired as a part-time firefighter in 2013 and was promoted to full time in 2017.

Sternad comes from a firefighting family, as his father, John, worked for the Brecksville Fire Department for 40 years and his brother, Nick, is a part-time firefighter with the department.

In addition to developing the city’s drug exchange program in cooperation with MetroHealth, Sternad is credited with overseeing the safety of the department’s firefighting equipment, purchasing uniforms and other department clothing and coordinating the fire hydrant maintenance program, among other responsibilities. He is also a state-certified fire safety inspector.

Council approved the hiring of two part-time firefighters, as well as a new police officer.

The new part-time firefighters, David Ineman and Alexander Caleris, work full time for the Broadview Heights Fire Department. Bender said the new hires are needed to fill in for firefighters on vacation or who use sick time.

Ineman has worked for Stow and Hinckley Township fire departments, as well as the city of Cleveland EMS. He also has several certifications in emergency medical services.

Caleris is scheduled to graduate from Cuyahoga County’s paramedic program in December, Kingston said. He has completed the Tri-C Fire Academy. A graduate of BBHHS, Caleris served as captain of the varsity soccer team. He also worked for the city of Brecksville as a soccer coach and as a scorekeeper for the community center and the Brecksville Soccer Academy. His father is a firefighter for the city of Euclid.

“He already has a reputation for enthusiasm and willingness to learn and grow in the fire service,” Kingston said of Caleris.

The city’s newest police officer, Viorel A. Psepolschi, has been employed by the Cleveland Heights Police Department for 13 years. He served in the community response team’s bicycle unit and has several certifications and commendations.

While working for the department, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Police Chief Stan Korinek said this wasn’t the first time Psepolschi, who emigrated from Romania when he was 10 years old, was interviewed by the department.

“Back then, we thought he was a good candidate, and this time I was just as impressed as I was the first time,” Korinek said.

Psepolschi will replace an officer who took a full-time job with the Secret Service department for the city of Cleveland.

Police equipment purchases

Council gave the police department the green light to purchase a $16,300 drone, as well as other equipment and a license needed to operate the device.

Councilmember Ann Koepke said the department has recently requested to use drones from other communities, and administrators believe the department would benefit from having its own.

Council also approved the $1,874 purchase of seven new short-barrel rifles, suppressors, flash-hiders, scout lights and other equipment for the department’s range team. Korinek said the department plans to trade in firearms the department has seized to fund the majority of the purchase.

“These suppressors and short-barrel rifles will allow us to use these rifles in our indoor range and in an outdoor range,” Korinek said. “It cuts down on noise pollution, it cuts down on complaints from residents around those outdoor ranges and protects our officers’ hearing. And on our side, it cuts down on the loud noise so that teams can communicate better. It will also cut down on the flash so that whoever we are up against can’t see our flash or our light.”

Equipment upgrades

City council approved the purchase of new equipment for the community center. In addition to purchasing an ADA-compliant chairlift for the facility’s natatorium at a cost of $8,265, council agreed to purchase nine pieces of equipment for the facility’s fitness center at a cost of $23,439. The equipment includes three treadmills, three recumbent exercise bicycles, one upright bicycle, one elliptical machine and two 45-pound weight bars.

Council President Dominic Caruso said the city considered leasing the equipment but decided to buy, based on how long the city keeps equipment. ∞