Ann Arbor has a new fire chief again.
Ann Arbor’s City Council unanimously approved Samuel Hopkins as Ann Arbor’s fire chief last night.
Hopkins will be Ann Arbor’s fourth fire chief in the past five years.
Representatives from the city and the Ann Arbor Fire Department said Hopkins is a well-qualified candidate and a good match for the city.
“Mr. Hopkins was, from the day he put his name in, one of the top candidates for the job,” Mayor John Hieftje said.
“Everyone has spoken very highly of him,” he added.
Hopkins served as chief of the Lansing Fire Department from 1987 to 1994, starting out as a firefighter in 1965 and moving up the ranks.
Hopkins said he is excited to work with the AAFD, which he cited as one of the most important reasons he chose to take the position.
He said he worked well with the AAFD while consulting for the department.
“It seemed like a good fit,” Hopkins said.
City Council members and the AAFD echoed Hopkins’s sentiment.
“He is an outstanding candidate,” said Councilman Leigh Greden (D