Jon Ichesco was unanimously selected, 4-0, as the interim Chelsea Area Fire Authority (CAFA) chief at a special meeting held Thursday night, Sept. 1.
Board Member Craig Maier was out of town.
Ichesco has been in the fire service since 1983 and served as the Ypsilanti Fire Chief until Jan. 1, 2013 when he retired.
“Jon brings a world of experience and we look forward to moving forward as a department,” said CAFA Board Chairman Tom Osborne Friday morning.
Ichesco officially began his duties at CAFA Friday and will serve for about 4-6 months until a new chief is chosen, Osborne said.
A committee formed to find a new chief has been meeting regularly and it’s expected that the group will begin the application process soon.
“I’m coming in to maintain (the department); it’s a pretty good department,” Ichesco said.
Retired Chief Jim Payeur is working with Ichesco during the transition period, and Ichesco will not be in the running to become the permanent chief.
In other CAFA news, the firefighter’s union held an election of officers on Tuesday, Aug. 30 prior to the start of contract negotiations and Fire Capt. Scott Basar was elected president of the union. Acting Captain Colt White was elected as the vice president and Fire Lt. Bill Regnier was elected secretary/treasurer.
