Jon Unruh is about to prove that’s not true, although technically he’s never left in the first place.
Unruh, who started his firefighting career three decades ago as a paid on-call firefighter in Farmington Hills, has been hired as the new fire chief in the city, effective Feb. 8. He replaces Corey Bartsch, who retired last month after eight years as chief.
Unruh, who has also worked for years as a part-time dispatcher Farmington Hills, can’t wait to get started.
“I’m extremely excited,” Unruh said. “I’m coming home to Farmington Hills.”
Unruh was one of 11 applicants for the job of replacing Bartsch. Of those 11, city officials interviewed four candidates just before the Christmas/New Year’s break.
After starting as a paid on-call firefighter in Farmington Hills, Unruh moved to the Livonia Fire Department in 1989. He’s worked his way up to captain there, while maintaining his part-time dispatcher position for Farmington Hills police and fire.
Unruh has a bachelor’s degree in public safety studies from Sienna Heights, and a master’s degree in emergency management from Eastern Michigan University. He’s also a licensed paramedic who has completed the Staff & Command course at Eastern Michigan University.
He’s part of the Wayne County Hazardous Materials team and the Western Wayne County Urban Search and Rescue team.
According to City Manager Dave Boyer, Unruh came out of those interviews as the clear choice.
“His education, his experience, the work he has done and the recommendations we received made him stand out as the person to hire,” Boyer said. “We’re very big on emergency preparedness here. (Unruh) is very involved not only in his community, but in the region. He’s involved in a lot of the same types of mutual aid we’re in. He’s done a lot of work on policies and procedures. He’s very well-rounded.”
Livonia Fire Chief Shadd Whitehead said Unruh’s “calm demeanor” will play well in his new leadership role. Whitehead called Unruh a “very talented and gifted individual” with a “very robust” skill set.
“Having someone with a calm demeanor in a command position sets the tone,” Whitehead said. “It’s certainly an attribute that will serve him well as he moves into an executive position.”
Unruh said the biggest challenge to his new job might very well be maintaining the standards Bartsch and the rest of the firefighters have set over the years. He said though he’s worked in Livonia for 27 years, his part-time job as a dispatcher has helped him maintain a level of familiarity with the Farmington Hills department.
“The department has changed the last 27 yers, obviously, but I’ve been a part of it, so I’ve been familiar with it,” Unruh said. “I’ve never really left the city. I’m coming home.”
