Northville Township fire chief moving to city department
Northville Township Fire Department Battalion Chief Brent Muller has retired from the department.
As one of the first full-time firefighters in the township, Muller has been part of the growth at the department for nearly three decades. He was 18 when he first put on township fire turnout gear. At the time, Six Mile Road was an unpaved dirt road and the current Northville High School had yet to be built. After 28 years, his last shift is set for today, May 14, and his official retirement date is June 1.
He is not going far, though. He will be stepping into a new role as the first-ever deputy fire chief for the City of Northville,
“It was just a very tough decision, because the work here is great,” Muller said. “The people on the fire department are great. The township has been great. These last three, four years have been the best out of my 28 years in the fire service.”
He was sought out for this new opportunity, though, he said, and he will be the first deputy fire chief in the city of Northville. In his new role, Muller will help lead a department that serves both the City of Northville and the City of Plymouth.
“This is a rare opportunity, not just professionally, but regionally,” said Township Manager Glenn Caldwell. “Having someone with deep roots in Northville Township stepping into a leadership role next door creates a stronger connection between our departments and ultimately benefits the residents we both serve. I’m excited for our community and for Brent.”
Muller echoed that sentiment, noting that his move is not a departure, but an evolution.
“I’m lucky. It’s right down the road. I already know the community, and I’ll still get to work with the people here from time to time,” he said.
When Muller joined the department in 1997, first as a paid on-call firefighter and then becoming full-time career firefighter in 1999, crews responded to fewer than 1,000 calls annually. Today, that number has grown to nearly 4,000 runs per year, reflecting both the township’s expansion and the increasing complexity of modern emergency services, he recalled.
“The best part of the job is sitting down with your crew, sharing a meal, and just laughing together,” he said. “That’s your second family.”
Muller said family is the reason he pursued a firefighting career. His father, uncle and cousin were all in the industry. “It’s the family business,” Muller said. “I’m one of the lucky ones who knew what I always wanted to do since I was a young kid.”
Muller and his wife, Kristal, have three children. The oldest, Landon, 16, wants to be a firefighter as well. His 15-year-old twins, Dylan and Morgan, haven’t committed to it…yet.
