Boardman swears in new fire chief, credits departing chief

BOARDMAN

Township trustees swore in Mark Pitzer as the new fire chief Thursday, marking Chief George Brown’s official retirement from the position.

“He’ll do great. He’s got the passion and the desire and he’s a hard worker. And he’s very much about customer service,” Brown said of Pitzer. “He’ll do well.”

Pitzer, a Canfield native, joined the Boardman Fire Department in 2003 and was one of five other members of the department who was considered for the position. Trustee Thomas Costello credited Brown with the strong applicant pool from which the trustees chose.

“Thanks to the leadership of Chief Brown, we had five very qualified candidates come forward,” Costello said. Costello said Brown made it possible to hire internally, rather than seeking candidates from elsewhere.

“I want to thank Chief Brown for his years of leadership,” Costello said.

The swearing-in ceremony was an emotional experience for Pitzer, who had tears in his eyes while his two sons, who are 9 and 6 years old, pinned his badge to his uniform.

“I’m thrilled that this is happening. Today was a great day for me,” Pitzer said. “I’m just happy to be here, happy to work for the township in this capacity as fire chief, to provide the best fire protection for the community as possible.”

Pitzer started as interim fire chief at the beginning of July, and Brown stayed on to train him. Pitzer said he feels prepared to take on the job on his own.

“I feel great, comfortable, I have a great support network .... It’s been a great transition and everyone is looking toward the future,” he said. The new chief will be paid $72,000 annually.