As of Oct. 1, Captain David McInally has been promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief-Fire Marshal for the Van Buren Township Fire Department.
Battalion Chief McInally will be formally presented to the VBT Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 16.
This promotion fills a vacancy that occurred when Daniel Besson was promoted to Fire Chief.
The position merges several job assignments into one and allows the fire department to operate more efficiently, Chief Besson said.
Chief Besson said Battalion Chief McInally brings over 21 years of fire experience, the last 13 years in a command position, and has met and exceeded the minimum training requirements for the position.
McInally has been certified by the National Fire Protection Association and the State of Michigan as a Fire Inspector and Fire Plans Examiner.
In addition to managing key divisions within the fire department his new position will require him to review proposed construction plans, in conjunction with the Building Department, in order to verify compliance with fire department and fire code requirements.
“He is a 2008 graduate of Eastern Michigan University’s School of Fire Staff and Command and serves our department with the highest regards for the residents, guests, and visitors of Van Buren Township,” Chief Besson said.
In addition to working in the township’s 9-1-1 Communications Center, he trains other Communication Officers from throughout the state on how to handle extraordinary callers (such as suicidal, homicidal, or other unique situations).
He is also employed by the Michigan International Speedway Fire & Rescue Department as an assistant to the track’s Fire Safety Director, in the Operations Center, during Nascar® and other specialty race events.
“It is a great honor to promote him to a Chief Officer position,” Chief Besson said. “I’ve known him almost his entire firefighting career and he was one of the major influences on my decision to become an on-call Firefighter in 1992.
“He has worked extremely hard to earn it,” Chief Besson said.