In a unanimous vote, the Wyoming City Council named Brian Bennett its new fire chief. Lt. James Maguffee has also been promoted to administrative captain.
Bennett
After serving as deputy fire chief for the City for 3 years, Bennett will lead a team of 29 full-time firefighters, 14 paid on-call and part-time, and 21 dual trained employees. Bennett replaces Chief Charles Lark, who retired at the end of May after decades of service in public safety.
“Brian has been an exceptional leader and instrumental member of our public safety team,” said Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt. “He has been at the forefront of some exciting changes within the department over the last few years, and we look forward to his continued leadership.”
Prior to joining Wyoming, Bennett served as the fire chief for Caledonia Township, where he helped develop a dynamic scheduling program and the Tri-County Training Consortium, among other accomplishments. He also served as the vice president of the Kent County Fire Chiefs Association.
Bennett’s tenure with the City of Wyoming began in 2015 when the City was transitioning to a consolidated public safety model.
“It has been an honor to work with Brian, and I admire the work he has done in Fire Services,” said Wyoming Public Safety Chief Kim Koster. “With his help our department is a leader throughout the region in the areas of firefighting, training, technology and emergency care for our residents.”
Bennett plans to continue working on the department’s commitment to customer service through the efficient delivery of emergency medical and fire services. He has served in fire services for over thirty years and received his initial certifications from the Rockford Fire Academy.
Maguffee
In addition to promoting Bennett, the City of Wyoming has also promoted Lt. James Maguffee to administrative captain. He takes over the position that was vacated by Koster upon her recent promotion. In this role, Maguffee will oversee the department’s administrative processes such as those related to accreditation, annual reporting, internal affairs, public information and grant funding.
Maguffee began his career with the Flint Police Department where he served for seven years before joining the Wyoming Department of Public Safety in January of 1998.
He was promoted to sergeant in 2005 and specialized in patrol operations, investigations and community services. He served as a member of the department’s motorcycle unit and is the current leader of the department’s Honor Guard. In 2012, Maguffee earned a promotion to lieutenant where he worked as a patrol commander, oversaw the department’s community policing efforts, and was eventually assigned as the investigative division commander.
“For the past three-and-a-half years, Jim’s leadership of the Investigative Division has been instrumental in the department’s ability to bring some of our most challenging and intricate cases to a successful conclusion,” Koster said. “I look forward to his contributions to the overall direction of the administration of our Public Safety Department.”
Maguffee is a graduate of Cornerstone University and Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff & Command. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor for both the Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University police academy programs.