An end is in sight to Lansing and East Lansing sharing a fire chief, as Chief Randy Talifarro announces his resignation from the Lansing Fire Department.
FOX 47's Cryss Walker talked with Lansing Mayor Andy Schor about the city’s plans to move forward.
Mayor Schor says since 2012 the city's fire department has been operating on a regional system by sharing a fire chief with the city of East Lansing to help the city save money.
On Tuesday Randy Talifarro resigned from his position as chief of Lansing fire but will continue to head the East Lansing Fire Department.
“It wasn't a shock because there was a point when this needed to evolve into something and he saw that”, said Schor or Talifarro’s resignation.
“I think a lot of people saw that and he made the determination that it was time to go back to East Lansing as a full-time chief and I respect that.”
Mayor Schor says that Talifarro was only supposed to lead Lansing's Fire Department on an interim basis, but the city continued to renew his contract over the last six years.
FOX 47 reached out to the East Lansing Fire Department and Chief Talifarro to get a statement about his resignation.
We are still waiting to hear back from the chief.
The Mayor Schor says the chief will leave the department officially on July 1, 2018.
An interim chief will be put in place until the city finds a new person to head the fire department.
