The City of Battle Creek has chosen Fire Prevention Week to announce the arrival of new Fire Chief Bill Beaty. He was one of two finalists for the position and answered questions from the community in a forum that was held on August 24th. The city received over 100 community feedback forms, many of which favored Beaty. Chief Beaty will begin his duties starting Monday, October 17th.  

The process of selecting Beaty as a finalist in the search for a new fire chief included facing the city’s interview panel, which included Battalion Chief Matt Beauchamp, and city Firefighter and International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF, union) Local 335 President Jayeson Tkac. They were impressed by the connections Beaty made with the community and firefighters during his August visit.  

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Assistant City Manager Ted Dearing says, 

Chief Beaty has years of military, firefighter, labor union, and other experience that will serve him well in the City of Battle Creek. We believe his strong views on recruitment and diversity will make a great, positive impact on the Battle Creek Fire Department, and we look forward to his service here. 

Chief Beaty has an impressive resume. He was Divernon Firefighter of the Year and Veterans of Foreign Wars Springfield Firefighter of the Year; and served on the IAFF Local 37 Executive Board. He served Lincoln Land Community College as the Fire Science Technology program coordinator, Emergency Medical Services program coordinator, and adjunct instructor. He served in the U.S. Air Force Security Forces from 1989-2008, serving multiple deployments and receiving numerous decorations and awards. He has served as a scholastic middle school and high school sports official since 1987. 

Chief Beaty is looking forward to his duties, saying, 

The future of the fire department, and our service to the community, has great promise, and I am humbled and excited about the opportunity to lead those efforts into the future.  

He is filling the boots of former fire chief Brian Sturdivant, who left the City of Battle Creek, in April, to take on the duties of fire chief in the Capital City, Lansing, Michigan. 

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