Lansing’s new fire chief is settling into his first week on the job.
Chief Brian Sturdivant began his new role on Monday, ending a 20-month void at the top of the Lansing Fire Department.
As leader of a 180-person team, Sturdivant says his job is to provide the community with the highest possible level of service.
He says that starts with ensuring his firefighters have the proper tools and training to handle any type of call.
“Not only do I want our firefighters to really be safe, to be protected, to have the right equipment, but I also want them to provide that level of service with a great attitude,” Sturdivant said.
Sturdivant says he’ll rely on his staff to talk to him about their needs.
“The end user should have a voice in what the end product will look like; and for me, our end users are our firefighters,” he said. “So, they should be able to talk to me about what works at the boots on the ground level.”
Sturdivant will meet with Lansing Mayor Andy Schor later this week to talk about department needs and priorities.
He says the department will always be transparent about its processes.
His remarks come about a month after 23 volunteer firefighters in Charlotte returned to duty after resigning over a dispute about communication with city leaders.
