Ortonville- The village council has unanimously accepted the recommendation that David Kwapis be promoted to Brandon fire chief.
The Fire Board Authority will now take their recommendation to the Brandon Township Board of Trustees. Pending the board’s approval and the retirement of current Fire Chief Bob McArthur, Kwapis will helm the Brandon Fire Department.
‘I think David will do a very good job, and I was pleased that we were able to promote from within and allow upward mobility for our firefighters,? said Township Supervisor Ron Lapp, who serves on the Fire Board Authority, along with Tom Stowell, Kay Green and Village Manager Ed Coy. ‘I will be sad to see Bob McArthur leave, but all good things come to an end. Bob has left the department in good shape and Kwapis will continue the tradition of moving our department forward as one of the finest fire departments in Oakland County.?
McArthur has said he plans to retire early next year.
The Fire Board Authority posted the position for fire chief in the department earlier this month, with minimum requirements that potential candidates had to have been a captain for at least two years and have an associate’s degree or equivalent.
While three people within the department qualified, Kwapis was the sole applicant.
‘He was my recommendation,? said McArthur. ‘He has the respect of the firefighters of our department and will make an excellent fire chief. He’s performed every duty that myself and (Assistant Chief David) Borst have over the years. He has taken initiative to move forward with all the aspects of the department.?
Kwapis, 41, is a lifelong Brandon Township resident. He graduated from Brandon High School in 1985 and joined the Brandon Fire Department in August of 1987 as a paid on-call firefighter. He liked the job so much he decided to pursue it as a career.
From 1987-1991, he completed basic firefighter courses and the emergency medical technician program. He became a full-time firefighter in April 1991, was promoted to sergeant in July 1997 and attained the rank of captain in August 2005. In January 2007, he earned his certificate of successful achievement from Eastern Michigan University’s School of Fire Staff and Command.
In March of this year, Kwapis was made administrative captain. He is happy to have received the recommendation to be the next fire chief.
‘Chief McArthur has made the Brandon Fire Department number one in my book, and I want to continue the service we provide to the community,? said Kwapis, who has been married to Tammy for 14 years and is the father of Tyler, 10, Abbey, 8, and Hannah, 7.