Serving the Public
In both the City of Defiance and Defiance County, public officials have a history of being responsive to the needs and desires they serve.
A city charter and a strong mayor and council govern the City of Defiance while a three-member Defiance County Board of Commissioners is the policy-making and legislative body of the county.
The police force of Defiance is composed of 23 uniformed officers and 3 investigators and a K-9 unit. The force operates 24 hours a day with eight patrol vehicles. An enhanced 911 emergency telephone system is currently in place. The mission of the Defiance Police Department is to maintain public trust by providing quality services in partnership with our community.
The fire department consists of 20 full-time and 11 part-time members. Equipment include three engines, one 75 foot aerial ladder truck, 90 foot aerial tower and 3 rescue vehicles. Members of the department have completed at least 280 hours of training and the fire protection class is a 5. Both EMT’s and paramedics in the department are trained and equipped to provide the most advanced pre-hospital care available in the nation.
The chief law-enforcement office of the county is the sheriff, who is elected to a four-year term. The road patrol division at the Defiance County Sheriff’s Office is comprised of 9 Deputies and 3 Sergeants. Road units are responsible for handling all types of complaints in Defiance County’s 12 townships, ranging from minor traffic accidents to homicides. They are responsible for patrolling 902 miles of Federal, State, County, and Township roads in the 414 square miles that make up Defiance County.
Quality of water in the community can greatly affect the quality of life as well. Defiance takes pride in its daily wastewater treatment capacity and insures that the EPA guidelines are met. The mission and overall goal of the Water Pollution Control Division in Defiance is achieving environmental standards and providing quality and dependable services through teamwork. Approximately 8 million gallons of water are processed every day through a series of disinfection and stabilizing techniques to ensure its quality and essence for the people.