North Ridgeville taps new fire department lieutenant

NORTH RIDGEVILLE – There's a new sheriff, er, lieutenant in town after the City of North Ridgeville appointed firefighter Steven Acord to fill the vacancy after lieutenant Korey Stearns recent retirement. Acord has served with the North Ridgeville Fire Department since 2017. Surrounded by family, friends and colleagues, Acord was formally sworn in November 4 and he will assume his new role on B Shift beginning in 2025.

Acord joined the City of North Ridgeville in 2017, bringing with him experience as a full-time firefighter and paramedic from the Cleveland Heights Fire Department. He also served with the Cleveland Fire Department upon his graduation from Cuyahoga Community College where he earned his fire science degree. Acord also graduated from Lorain County Community College where he earned his emergency management services (EMS) degree.

He grew up in Grafton and graduated from Midview High School in 2008.

Acord explained that when he first graduated high school, he said he had a year or two not really sure of what he wanted to do as a career. He initially attended LCCC to study nursing, but said that his heart wasn't fully into it. He then pivoted to pursue a business career.

"One day I came home from work and I was just kind of grumpy and in a bad mood and I realized I have no reason to be grumpy other than I just had a long day at work and didn't really feel fulfilled," Acord said. "I just had this desire to do something else. I had more of a sense of pride and purpose for what I wanted to do, it just kind of hit me. It was like an epiphany, I guess.

"I just decided to go for firefighting and paramedic, and as soon as I made that decision something clicked in my head," he smiled. "I was all in. I gave maximum effort in all my classes and just tried to be my best. I just loved it and ever since that moment I was passionate about the field I felt like the people I care most about could be proud of what I was doing."

Since joining North Ridgeville, city officials say he has been a dedicated and active member of the department, serving as a Public Safety Educator. In this role, he teaches fire safety to children through the "Safetyville" program and visits local elementary schools annually to educate students on home and fire safety. His commitment extends to safety outreach initiatives for adults and seniors throughout the community.

"I love being a public servant. I love being a part of the community that you live in," Acord said. "Going on calls where we're with people on their worst days, we get an opportunity to help them.

"I'm really involved with public education. I go into the schools to talk to the kids," he continued. "I'll go to some home associations and talk to adults and community. I think it's just really feeling like I'm a part of the community and getting to interact with everybody and help them with their needs, whether it's on a call or answering a question about a smoke detector. People look to us to feel safe and it's an honor to give people that type of security."

Officials say Acord's dedication and service earned him the opportunity to sit for the recent lieutenant's examination, where he performed well on both the written test and a scored assessment center. He subsequently ranked third on the Fire Lieutenant Promotional Examination Eligibility List for 2023-2025.

Chief John Reese shared that "Steven is a good family man and super dedicated to his work at the fire department. He is liked by everyone and is going to do a great job as lieutenant."

In the North Ridgeville Fire Department, shifts are made up of three crew members, with the lieutenant acting as the lead in that crew. Lieutenant Acord will lead his crew as a supervisor on any calls, as well as a number of new administrative tasks, while holding a leadership role within the department.

Acord's wife, Milica, and their children, Isaac and Savannah, pinned his uniform with his new badge.