Meet Eric Dyrlund, fire program coordinator at Stark State College, who helps train the next generation of firefighters in Stark County. A Stark State alumnus, Dyrlund started as a paramedic in 1990 and a Canton firefighter in 1993, later earning a captain’s rank in 2013. He serves on the Stark County Hazmat Team and the Stark County TROT Team, underscoring a career built on frontline emergency service. He began teaching at Stark State in 2010, became a lead instructor in 2021 and took on the fire program coordinator role in 2024. Dyrlund, 56, grew up in North Canton and now lives in Bolivar with his wife Traci and their daughter Lexi, who is a Stark State student and intern at Hall of Fame Village, plus a dog named Smalls. He notes rising interest in firefighter training and believes people are rediscovering the value of public-safety careers. For More Information https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2026/05/17/meet-eric-dyrlund-fire-program-coordinator-at-stark-state-college/89689207007/
