Dear Wood County Citizens,
As your Sheriff, I work directly for all 130,000 of you and take this honor very seriously. From the first day I took office in January of 2005, every decision I make is based on what is best for the citizens of Wood County, not what is best for me or my office. At times I re-evaluate decisions made. I will be issuing all three emergency levels.
I have learned from the conversations I have had with many of you on the phone, emails, and text messages over the past 72 hours that some of you want me to inform you of the road conditions using the three emergency levels. For all of those that had contacted me that you do not want direction from the government, please understand that level 1 and level 2 emergencies do not prevent you from travel and you may choose to use them as an advisory.
As I have done since taking office, a level 3 will only be called in the event of white outs or if the roadways are impassible and the duration will be for as short of time as possible to safeguard our freedoms. We do live in Northwest Ohio and get snow and ice frequently every winter. Due to the size of our county and public service availability to clear roadways, please keep in mind the level issued is county wide and may not reflect the current road conditions where you live.
A good friend of mine often says “Whatever level you are on you are always one level off.” Yes, many of you may disagree with me on the level issued and may think I should do level 3s for smaller weather events. I know that no matter what decision I make not everyone is going to agree with me. I do not know of anyone that agrees with another person 100% of the time. However, if you disagree with me please do not call the dispatch center and use foul language, yell and threaten my deputies. They do not determine the levels. Please call, email or text me directly.
I am constantly learning and working on being the best Sheriff I can possibly be. My goal is for the Wood County Sheriff’s Office to be the best.
Sincerely,
Mark Wasylyshyn
