By JASON TIDD

Staff writer

Marion Fire Department’s new logo sports an animal mascot — but not the stereotypical Dalmatian. A rhino adorns the emblem for the self-proclaimed rhino capital of Kansas, and firefighters are asking for help naming him.

Firefighter Preston Williams came up with the idea of incorporating the rhino into the logo and contacted Braden Suffield, a 2006 Marion High School graduate and graphic designer.

Suffield’s design sports a burly rhino dressed in yellow and black firefighter protective equipment and red helmet, dragging a squirting water hose. A black background is crossed by two firefighter axes. An eye filled with determination stares onward.

“I saw a lot of designs online that other fire departments use across the nation that are pretty cool, and we always have the rhinos for Chingawassa Days and around town, so I thought it was pretty fitting,” Williams said.

The logo could find its way onto T-shirts, hats, and decals for use by firefighters and for fundraisers, he said.

“The guys I’ve talked to on the department, they’ve all thought it was a pretty cool design,” Williams said.

For now, the rhino is nameless, but Williams would like to change that.

“I’m trying to think of during fire prevention week, if we could get all the kids to have an idea, and see if we could come up with a prize for them,” Williams said.

National Fire Prevention Week is the second week of October.

Firefighters will take rhino name suggestions from the public, in person or on social media.

“If anyone has any feedback, we’re open to know what people think of it,” Williams said. “At least let us know we’re on a good path of representing Marion and being progressive and moving on with the future.”