NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Northville Township fire department battalion chief Chris Koth is retiring after 27 years of service, Northville Township announced today.
Koth became an on-call firefighter in 1996 after beginning his career as a reserve police officer four years earlier. He was hired as a dispatcher in 1998 and worked in all three roles until becoming a full-time fire fighter in 2000.
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“This suits my personality better, and I felt like I could do more good here and experience less confrontation,” Koth said. “And so that’s the direction I went.”
Koth, who is also a founding member of the Western Wayne County Urban Search and Rescue team, is known around Michigan for his rope rescue expertise. In his free time, Koth teaches rope rescue around Michigan.
“We’ve only had one rope rescue in Northville Township, and that was when a kid climbed up a tree and got stuck,” Koth said.
Koth mentioned the rock-climbing skills he developed in college as a large reason for the rescue’s success.
“Battalion Chief Koth has dedicated more than 30 years to the Northville community,” Northville Township Fire Chief Brent Siegel said. “We are grateful for the various roles he has filled and the leadership he has provided to those who have worked with him. He has done a great job developing the new officers who will fill his shoes.”
While Koth’s firefighting career is coming to an end, he plans to turn his boat-repair hobby into a new career with his wife Kendra. The two are opening a business in northern Michigan that will specialize in fiberglass boat repair services.
“The Chief asked me the other day what my proudest moment was,” Koth said. “I’m proud of all of it.”