WAUSEON, Ohio – The city of Wauseon has announced the kickoff of its “Prepared to Serve. Proud to Protect.” campaign.
The campaign, featured on the official Facebook pages of the city of Wauseon and the Wauseon Fire Department, as well as on the fire department’s website, began Monday, Sept. 21, and will run about eight weeks.
The campaign is designed to give the community an in-depth, up-close look at the people, training, equipment, partnerships and services that make up the Wauseon Fire Department.
“The goal of the campaign is simple,” Mayor Kathy Huner said, “to help our community get to know the men and women of the Fire Department better, understand all they do, and see how they prepare every day to be there when you and I need them most.”
Throughout the campaign, social media posts will cover a variety of topics of public interest related to the fire department.
According to Wauseon Fire Department Executive Assistant Cassandra Okuly, the campaign was developed to give residents a better understanding of both the people behind the department and the services they provide.
“We want our community to see more than just the fire trucks and ambulances responding when someone calls 911,” Okuly said.
“This campaign gives us an opportunity to show the people behind those responses, explain what our firefighters and EMS personnel do every day, and help residents better understand the training, equipment, partnerships, and services that make emergency response possible.
“We also want to answer the questions our community has, share real stories and experiences, and highlight the many ways the Wauseon Fire Department serves this community both during emergencies and beyond.”
In addition to the social media posts, the city will show a 60-second video before movies at Skye Cinema in Wauseon during the campaign.
Featuring three well-known members of the community, the video offers a lighthearted look at three would-be recruits eager to join the Wauseon Fire Department. Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Shirkey, who was on set during filming, said the video will “keep everyone laughing” and called it a “can’t miss.”
“We are proud of our men and women in the Fire Department who serve our City and the surrounding communities, and we are so excited to have this great opportunity to share more about the Department with the community,” Huner said.
To follow the campaign, visit the official Facebook pages of the city of Wauseon and the Wauseon Fire Department, or the fire department’s website, wauseonfire.com.
Story updated September 20, 2026 at 9:11 a.m.