The group of Gaines Township firefighters and officers walked out after the township board appointed a new fire chief over the former interim chief

GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Seventeen Gaines Township firefighters and officers walked out after the township board voted to appoint Dan Stevens as the next fire chief, according to former Interim Chief Scott Mangrum.

The board approved Stevens’ appointment in a 3-2 vote on June 9, WNEM reported. The fire department said the decision came despite unanimous support from the department’s officer staff for Mangrum.

| MORE: Firefighter exodus: A roundup of mass resignations

The department said Mangrum had served as interim chief since August 2025, having previously served as assistant chief. During his time as interim chief, the department said morale, participation and involvement improved.

Every member of the officer staff signed a letter endorsing Mangrum as the next fire chief. The letter was presented to the township board four times.

The department said Stevens previously served as a battalion chief but has not been with the department for more than three years.

“What qualifications or factors led the Board majority to conclude that a candidate who had not served with the department for more than three years was the better choice?” the department wrote on social media. “Why was the candidate who had been successfully serving as Interim Chief not selected despite having the support of the department’s leadership?”

The department urged residents to contact township leaders about the vote. Mangrum said 17 people walked out, though it is unclear how many will resign. WNEM has reached out to the township supervisor for comment.

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