CITY OF MIDLAND ANNOUNCES NEW FIRE CHIEF

February 24, 2012 – The City of Midland has named Chris Coughlin Fire Chief of the Midland Fire Department, effective February 20, 2012.

Chief Coughlin, a 10-year member of the department, has served as Interim Chief since December 2011 following the retirement of former Chief Leonardo Garcia.

Chief Coughlin joined the Midland department in 2002 as a Fire Inspector and was appointed Fire Marshal in 2006. He is a State of Michigan-licensed Fire Inspector I, holds State certifications as a Fire Fighter I and II and Fire Officers I, II, and III, and is certified as a fire instructor. Coughlin has completed extensive coursework in fire investigation and is a plans examiner.

He also is a Michigan State Police unified incident command instructor, an aircraft firefighting / rescue instructor, and a Michigan Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

“After a thorough interview process we determined that Chris’ background and abilities make him best suited for the job,” said City Manager Jon Lynch.  “He and the Fire Department continue to work hard to protect our citizens.”

The new chief’s promotion follows a national search for Midland’s top fire fighter. A total of six candidates were interviewed by a panel of city government professionals, fire officials, and experts in public safety to evaluate candidates on leadership, organization, and public communication.

Prior to coming to Midland, Coughlin was the Fire Chief of Cherry Capital Airport and served on the Shepherd Tri Township Fire Department.

For more information, contact the City Manager’s Office at 989-837-3301.

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