Mayor Andy Schor announced Tuesday today that he has appointed an Interim Fire Chief. WKAR’s Katie Cook reports.
Mayor Schor has appointed David J. Purchase as Interim Fire Chief for the Lansing Fire Department. Purchase will begin in this role on July 1, 2018.
Chief Randall Talifarro, who serves as joint Chief of Lansing and East Lansing, will end his duties in Lansing on June 30, 2018, and return to being the full-time fire chief for East Lansing.
Purchase is an Executive Officer Graduate of the National Fire Academy and has served a total of 38 years in the fire service, including 14 years as the Fire Chief for the City of Norton Shores.
Purchase has been received several recognitions, including State Firefighter of the Year, Fire Service Instructor of the Year presented by the Michigan Fire Service Instructors Association, and the Michigan Association Fire Chiefs, Fire Chief of The Year.
Mayor Schor tells WKAR the search for a permanent Lansing fire chief will involve a board of fire commissioners and a citizen board, and more information on that process will be available soon.