The position of Addison Township fire chief is one step closer to being filled after the fire board made its recommendation on Wednesday, Oct 21.
The board voted 5-0 to recommend Interim Fire Chief Jerry Morawski for the job. The Addison Township Board of Trustees and Leonard Village Council must now vote on the recommendation.
‘In the final analysis, Jerry’s history and knowledge of the department in addition to the noteworthy manner in which he has served as interim chief were the deciding factor for me,? said Fire Board Vice Chairman Mark Smith in a statement he read to the board.
The statement he read was Smith’s personal opinion, not the Fire Board’s, in support of Morawski being the recommended candidate.
‘I think the Fire Board has made a good decision and if I do become the fire chief officially, I think I will do a good job,? said Morawski.
Mowarski said that he wouldn’t stop until the fire department progresses and becomes more knowledgeable in the fire service as a whole.
‘I have no doubt that Jerry will embark on a process of continuous improvement and education related to the position should he be chosen,? Smith stated.
‘There seems no one better qualified to lead the department into the future then an individual who has been a member of the department during some of its darkest and most tumultuous years and who has work(ed) diligently alongside others to make it the respectable department that it is today and wants never to see a return to prior days,? said Smith.
‘I feel like it was a good choice,? said Gary Gailbraith, chairman of the fire board. ‘It became obvious that he was very well liked…there was not one negative that I saw. I think under the circumstances it was the right choice,? said Gailbraith.
According to Smith’s statement, it was made clear to him by other fire chiefs from surrounding communities that Jerry was very willing to become involved and participate in networking with chiefs from neighboring communities and Oakland County to gain insight about new ideas.
Smith noted it was Morawski’s knowledge of the community and its rural water supply that moved him towards recommending him.
‘None of the candidates knows this community better then Jerry and that is very important to the safety of the residents and firefighters alike.?
According to Gailbraith, he had received numerous letters from the Village of Leonard and from people in the fire department in support of Morawski.
Morawski has been serving as the Interim Fire Chief since the resignation of George Spencer on March 2.
Some of the things that Morawski would like to do, if he becomes the Fire Chief, is to implement a Field Training Officer program and have more continuity and openness between the fire department and the residents of the village and township.
Morawski is also looking to keep the response times to six minutes or less, continue to operate within a good budget, and apply for some grants.
‘In the last nine months we’ve already (written) two grants,? said Morawski. He is looking to write as many grants as possible for the fire department.
On the EMS side, he is looking to do non-emergency transports out of local group homes, which in turn would generate revenue for the Fire Service.
‘They will be billable calls and runs…If I go and pick up (a resident) and transport her non-emergency to the hospital, I will be able to collect a fee for that,? said Morawski.
‘I think that Mark and (Fire Board Member) Erich (Senft) both did a fantastic job. I think they went out and canvased three other fire chiefs, which I really think was a smart thing. I really think they did it the right way,? said Gailbraith.
The next phase is for the Board’s recommendation to be voted on by the Leonard Village Council and the Addison Township Board of Trustees at their November meetings.