Terra State CCP ignites military career to Fire Chief

When Chief Master Sgt. Brian Rozick was in high school, he was not quite certain on what he wanted to do after graduation. One thing he was certain of was that taking College Credit Plus (CCP) classes at Terra State would set him up for any path he chose. As a dual enrollment CCP student from Woodmore High School, he was full time at Terra State during his junior and senior years at Woodmore.

Without a driver’s license, Rozick’s friend was also attending Terra State and became his means of transportation to campus. Although the carpool was an added bonus, Rozick would have chosen Terra State either way.

In 1996, Rozick graduated from Terra State with an Associate of Arts in English Literature on the same weekend as his high school graduation. After graduating and still unclear of the path to take, he decided to enlist into the Air Force.

“I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, I still kind of don't,” said Rozick, “I knew that the military was something I wanted to do.”

Rozick served in the Air Force as an Airborne Communications Systems Operator. He served with the 8^th Special Operations Squadron, where he flew on MC-130E Combat Talon aircraft and was able to travel all over the world.

During his first eight years in the military, he received two associate degrees from the Community College of the Air Force. After four years of active duty service, Rozick came back home to join the Air National Guard at the 180^th Fighter Wing in Swanton, Ohio. He served as a firefighter on monthly drill weekends while also working and attending school.

Rozick went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology from the University of Cincinnati in 2011 and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Toledo in 2015.

He was offered a position as a fulltime firefighter at the 180^th Fighter Wing in a dual position as a civilian and a military firefighter. Rozick worked through the military ranks and in 2012, was named Fire Chief (civilian side) and was promoted to Chief Master Sergeant (military side) in 2018.

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  DegreeEnglish
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  Length of Study

  2 years

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  Cost

  Less than $20,000

 

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  Employer

  180th Fighter Wing

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  Job Title

  Fire Chief & Chief Master Sergeant

 

On a day-to-day basis, Rozick manages many duties, as he operates the civilian and military sides of his department. As Fire Chief, he is responsible for emergency response at both the Toledo Air National Guard base and Toledo Express Airport.

“As the military Fire Chief [Chief Master Sergeant], I am responsible for preparing my military personnel to provide fire protection at deployed locations, while operating in a contested environment [war zone].  I am also responsible for training my personnel for the homeland response mission of urban search and rescue [USAR].  We train to integrate our USAR teams with FEMA teams in the event of catastrophic events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornados,” said Rozick.

Even though he has had opportunities to travel all over the world, Rozick will never forget where he grew up and how Terra State set him up for years of future success.

Rozick gives credit to two Terra State classes that lead him to choose a public service career and fire service specifically. He took a scuba diving class and a rope rescue class, both of which had class components in Fremont but also experiences outside of the community. While both classes were fun and entertaining skills for students, they also taught life lessons. The scuba class completed their open dive training in Florida and the ropes rescue course was able to utilize climbing courses in Hocking Hills and even repelled off the sides of buildings on Terra State’s campus.

Rozick encourages students to always have an open mindset when working with others, inside and outside of the classroom.

“Work hard and stay focused. Learn to think critically, and see opposing viewpoints from their point of view,” he said, “Do everything you can to prepare yourself for the future, but have some fun as well.”

The Terra State family is full of community members and alumni who go on to impact communities nationwide. Rozick, like many others, gained a sense of appreciation for opportunities outside of Northwest Ohio. Terra State gave him a starting boost of confidence to go on and help save lives.

“The world is a big place. I grew up in the same town my whole life before Terra State. Even though we travelled a lot as a family in the US and Canada for vacations, I never really connected with a community beyond my town until coming to Terra,” he said, “I think I really just realized some of my own potential and how many things were out in the world to be done.”