TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo man who dedicated his life to serving the city will soon be honored for his contributions.
The city of Toledo announced Monday that the intersection at Orange and Huron streets, adjacent to Fire Station 1, will be re-designated in honor of Toledo Fire & Rescue Department Assistant Chief Robert Schwanzl.
Schwanzl was appointed to the fire service Sept. 1, 1958. He served Toledo in multiple roles and retired as assistant chief of the department on March 5, 1998. Schwanzl dedicated over 60 years of his life to Toledo and TFRD.
Even after his retirement, before his death in 2020, Schwanzl served as president of the Toledo Firefighter’s Museum and delivered the last alarm at firefighters’ funerals. He also announced the names of firefighters when added to the yearly memorial on the anniversary of the Anthony Wayne Trail Fire.
Beyond that, Schwanzl’s legacy lives on as having a hand in changing the department’s name from “Toledo Fire Division” to the current “Toledo Fire & Rescue Department.”
On Aug. 20, Orange Street will be re-designated with Schwanzl’s own name.
A ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Aug. 20 at Chubb DeWolfe Park, located at 500 Beech Street, to honor the life and service of Schwanzl and the designation of “Toledo Fire & Rescue Department Assistant Chief Robert J. Schwanzl Memorial Place.”
The public is invited to attend.
MORE FROM WTOL 11:
Want more from WTOL 11?
➡️ Download the WTOL 11 news app for Apple here or get it in the Google store here.
➡️ Get a fresh start to your morning and wrap up your day with the latest news and your WTOL 11 Weather forecast delivered right to your inbox!
WTOL 11's Your Morning Blast and Your Evening Blast deliver stories from northwest Ohio, southeast Michigan and beyond to keep you informed.
Click here to get on the list!