Harrison Township By Sarah Cormier HARRISON TOWNSHIP — It’s been 23 years since Carl Seitz first started working for the Harrison Township Fire Department. He began as a firefighter, but soon, the leadership skills and camaraderie he is known for today quickly showed, proving that he had what it took to be a fire chief. In 2005, Seitz moved up to the illustrious position. Since then, Seitz has continued to prove that he is a leader among some of the best fire chiefs in the state, helping the Harrison Township Fire Department to be known for its non-stop charity work and fire education outreach to local citizens. “He embraced the fire chief’s job with passion and vigor that I admired the entire time I was supervisor,” said Harrison Township Supervisor Anthony Forlini. But now Seitz has decided to retire, effective Sept. 1. In the week before leaving, he was busy cleaning up his office and getting the department ready for the next in command, the identity of whom is still unknown. Seitz was also reflective about all that he accomplished during his time with the department, all the while making it clear that he couldn’t have achieved anything without the help of the 22-person staff he oversaw. “I didn’t accomplish anything. The department accomplished a lot,” he said. Seitz said he was most proud of his Have a Heart for Harrison campaign, where 1,000 Automated External Defibrillators (AED) were deployed to many facilities in the community. He also oversaw an extensive senior outreach program, making the elderly more aware of fire safety and beginning a senior flu-shot initiative. Perhaps most notably, Seitz is responsible for bringing a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to the township, which trains local citizens on how to respond to emergencies. “I think that really contributed to making our community more disaster-resistant,” he said. Seitz added that during his time as chief, a lot of equipment was replaced and updated. “We did all of that and stayed within budget,” he said. Seitz is retiring to take on another job, teaching fire science and emergency medical services classes at Macomb County Community College, something he has always done over the years and enjoyed. For him, the chance to teach more shows him that his life has come full circle, as he will now be back at the place where he first learned about his love for firefighting. “I’m really looking forward to having that opportunity with young people who are looking to get into the fire service,” he said. As of right now, the township still hasn’t figured out who will replace Seitz, but Forlini says it should be decided fairly soon. “We are in the process of a national search for a fire chief, and we are hoping in the next few weeks that we will find someone who will take the torch and run with it,” he said. Seitz said he isn’t worried that he won’t be there to train the new chief; he said that the fire service is well known for creating “great leaders.” He does believe, though, that the future of most fire departments, including that of Harrison Township, lies in combining services with other communities. “I really think that it the future of the Fire Department,” he said. Seitz added that the new fire chief will be able to get a handle on things quickly because the firefighting staff already in the department is strong. “The Fire Department is defined by the firefighters, not the fire chief,” he said. You can reach Staff Writer Sarah Cormier at scormier@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1095. |
