10/27/2026
Every day, members of Defiance Fire & Rescue answer calls from people facing some of their
most difficult moments. For Captain Brandon Case, a captain and paramedic with the City of Defiance Fire & Rescue Division, the opportunity to help someone when they need it most makes his career meaningful.
Case is the second person featured through Light Up Mercy: Celebrating the People Who Light Up Defiance, a Mercy Health — Defiance initiative sharing the stories of five people whose kindness, compassion and service brighten the community. The series leads up to the annual Mercy Christmas Tree Lighting on November 18.
Case was nominated by Defiance Fire Chief Shawn Wittkop. His service extends beyond emergency response to mentoring fellow firefighters and encouraging young people to consider the profession.
His journey began as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in Wauseon, Ohio, after a friend encouraged him to try it. Shortly after his initial training, he responded to his first house fire. “I was immediately hooked,” Case recalled.
“This job allows me to be a person that can make an impact in someone’s life on any given day,” he said. “Helping others and inspiring young people to take up this career path is an amazing reward.”
One experience that stayed with Case came during an apartment fire several years ago. A neighboring department had sent a crew that included several firefighters new to the service. Case took time to share techniques he had learned over the years. The following day, one of those firefighters texted him to say thank you for explaining not only what to do, but why.
That small moment of mentorship reminded him that service also means helping others grow in their ability to help people.
Case appreciates the connections that come with serving a community like Defiance. Seeing people he has helped — or the lasting impression fire safety lessons can make on children — is among the rewards of his work.
He also wants people to know how varied the job can be. Firefighters work 24-hour shifts and train for many kinds of emergencies. Case estimates that about 80 percent of the calls his department responds to are medical emergencies.
His father has been a lifelong inspiration, showing him the value of hard work, caring for family and being someone others can depend on. Case strives to carry those lessons into his own life as a father and husband.
And when asked who lights up his life, Case immediately named his wife, Liz. “She is my best friend, my forever companion, and she brings a smile to my face every time I see her,” he said. Together for 17 years and married for 15, they share a family life that, Case says, inspires him to be a better father and husband.
Through emergency response, mentorship and family, Case shows how making a community brighter can begin with being there when someone needs you.
Join Us for Light Up Mercy! You are invited to Mercy Health — Defiance’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 5:30 to 6 p.m. at 1400 East Second St., Defiance. All five featured individuals will be recognized before the tree is lit.
The lights on the tree may shine for a season. The people who brighten our community do it all year long.
