Fire chief to step down

Homolya will become assistant chief instead

Lorain fire Chief Matt Homolya will step down from the post, but remain with the Fire Department as assistant chief.

Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenauer announced the change on Dec. 21.

“I simply don’t think that this position is a good fit for me,” Homolya said. “I have 14 more years left in my career, and I can’t see myself being happy in this role for this amount of time.

“I have an opportunity to take advantage of a voluntary demotion and return to the part of the job I truly love. This is a decision that my family and I made together, and we feel it’s what’s best.”

Homolya will remain acting chief while the city runs the process of finding a new fire chief, Ritenauer said.

The Lorain Civil Service Commission will be notified and will have a test for candidates for chief, he said.

“It is going to take some months as the candidates will need time to prepare,” the mayor said.

The preparation, testing and appointment process most likely will run

into the second quarter of 2019, he said.

Ritenauer said he supported Homolya’s decision, which was not related to any job performance or disciplinary issues.

The fire chief must serve a number of different constituencies and serves as the public face of the Lorain Fire Department, Ritenauer said.

“We all get up and go to work each day, and it is important to enjoy what we do,” the mayor said. “I commend the chief for making a difficult decision but, ultimately, the best decision for him and for his family.

“For whatever reason,

sometimes things just do not work out as envisioned. I welcome Matt back to the position of assistant chief.”

A Marine Corps veteran, Homolya started as a firefighter in Lorain in February 1998.

Previously, Homolya was a lieutenant and captain before becoming assistant chief; in that position, he also served as city fire marshal.

The process is not likely to delay construction of the new east side fire station and the planning and later construction of the new and west side fire station, Ritenauer said.

THE MORNING JOURNAL FILE Fire Chief Matt Homolya points out his name etched into the cement porch railing of Lorain’s east side Station No. 4, 401 Idaho Ave., Jan. 29.