Traverse City Fire Chief Jim Tuller to retire after 36 years

Traverse City Fire Chief Jim Tuller retired after 36 years with the city, ending a long tenure that left him one of the most recognizable names in local public safety and turned the department over to Aaron Bunyea after a national search.

The change comes as Traverse City Fire Department marks its 150th year. City officials said the department was organized in 1876, and Tuller’s departure lands at a moment when the city is also preparing for full implementation of its in-house Advanced Life Support transport service in July 2026.

Tuller joined the Traverse City Fire Department in April 1990 and moved steadily through the ranks. He became fire lieutenant in 2002, fire inspector in 2003 and fire chief in June 2008. By April 15, 2026, city records showed he had completed 36 years of dedicated service to the city and 46 collective years in fire service.

The city said Bunyea was chosen after a national search shaped by feedback from Tuller, fire department leadership, the Traverse City Firefighters Union and others. The appointment gives the department a new chief as it faces the practical demands of a service that now extends well beyond fire calls.

Traverse City Fire Department provides fire suppression, Medical Advanced Life Support, water rescue, hazardous materials response, inspections, code enforcement and public education. In city materials, the department describes its work as an all-hazards operation serving the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. That broader mission has only grown more important as emergency response expectations have changed across Grand Traverse County, Leelanau County and the surrounding region.

The leadership handoff also lands amid ongoing labor and operational planning. The city’s firefighters agreement covers 2025-2029, giving the department a contractual framework as it navigates the transition from Tuller’s long tenure to Bunyea’s first months in the job. For a department rooted in downtown Traverse City history, with Station 1 at 500 W. Front Street anchoring its modern operations, the retirement closes one era while opening another.