The Engage Toledo Ambassador Academy welcomed its latest class last week, pulling residents from all corners of the city to learn more about the departments that make Toledo tick.
I was one of the handful picked to be a part of the most recent class, which has been going since 2017. Week 1 brought us to Fire Station 6 in East Toledo to learn about Toledo Fire and Rescue Department.
On Thursday, Battalion Chief Daniel Brown-Martinez took us around the station and told us how the department works, from recruitment, to how emergency response works, and how the fire department makes the most out of its resources.
He also wanted to break some of the stigma about being a city worker, saying that many people assume that taxes pay for more than just firefighter salaries. During the station tour, he said that resources like food and workout equipment are paid from their own pockets.
“Every budget meeting is a fight for money to get everyone their piece of the portion, it’s for the citizens to respect those entities,” he told The Blade.
The main message he wanted to send to the class was to respect the city services by using them properly and the proper steps for practicing fire prevention. The department can see upwards of 60,000 calls in any given year, a majority of which are for medical emergencies.
“Specifically, talking about the fire department, to use 911 wisely. We have very ill people with COVID going on, and just the natural daily operations of the business,” Mr. Brown-Martinez said.
Sitting in a class full of lifelong Toledoans who were passionate enough about their city to reach out and become an ambassador, I felt a bit out of place at first.
I’ve been reporting for The Blade for just over three months now. Covering city hall and politics, I find myself going through the revolving door at One Government Center almost every day.
I feel like I have the opportunity to learn a little bit more about Toledo every single day, but there’s still a long, long way to go. You can’t expect to learn everything about a city in a matter of a few months.
It was exciting to share the room with residents who truly care about the well-being of their city and have given a commitment to being part of the effort to make Toledo a better place.
“I tried to get on city council at one point in time, there was an open spot, but really, I don’t know enough about the city,” said Scott Johnson, an East Toledo resident participating in the academy. “And this is a way to learn about that and see if I actually want to go on and try to get on the city council.”
By the end of the class, I felt like I had been welcomed with open arms by my classmates.
Over the next 12 weeks, our class will have the opportunity to learn about other city services and spend time with the mayor and city council.
“Toledo has a great story to tell, we just don’t tell it enough,” said Jenny Jaqua, customer service commissioner who oversees the ambassador program. “A lot of people appreciate the work that we do, and we just want to really highlight how they can stay connected through this academy.”
The academy encourages participants to take the information they learn and bring the message to their neighborhoods to help raise awareness about what Toledo has to offer its citizens and how to go through the proper channels to take advantage of those services.
Editor's note: Reporter Trevor Hubert is attending the Engage Toledo Ambassador Academy and periodically will be reporting on his experiences.
First Published February 21, 2022, 8:11 p.m.
