Traverse City names Aaron Bunyea as next fire chief

Traverse City has picked Aaron Bunyea to lead its fire department, setting up a planned handoff before Chief Jim Tuller’s retirement takes effect April 24, 2026. The change puts one of the city’s most visible public-safety jobs in new hands just as the department is balancing fire coverage, EMS demand and staffing growth.

Tuller’s exit closes a long run in Traverse City fire service that began in April 1990, when he joined the department as a firefighter. He rose to fire lieutenant in 2002, fire inspector in 2003 and fire chief in June 2008. By the time he retires, the city said he will have completed 36 years of service to Traverse City and 46 years in fire service overall.

City Manager Benjamin Marentette called Bunyea a seasoned and deeply experienced fire services professional in announcing the appointment. Bunyea’s background stretches beyond Northern Michigan. The city said he served as interim fire chief and deputy fire chief for Clemson University Fire Department and the City of Clemson in South Carolina, where he oversaw 160 personnel. He also served as deputy fire chief for the U.S. Air Force, commanding 77 personnel.

That résumé points to the job Bunyea is walking into in Traverse City: not just emergency response, but the management of a department that is already carrying a broad workload and preparing for more. The Traverse City Fire Department says it provides all emergency life safety services within city limits, including fire suppression, advanced life support, water rescue, hazardous materials response, inspections, code enforcement and public education.

The transition also comes as the city pushes ahead with an expansion of emergency transportation services. Voters approved restoring up to 1 mill for fire department emergency transportation services and facilities in November 2023 by about a 2-to-1 margin. City documents said the department was aiming to become the city’s primary ambulance transport provider by July 2026, although later reports said staffing shortages could delay that target.

Those staffing questions are already part of the department’s planning. A city annual report said hiring 10 additional line staff would require expanded housing and work quarters at the existing fire stations on Front Street and Eighth Street. The same report said the department logged more than 7,110 training hours in 2023, a sign of how much preparation sits behind day-to-day response.

For Traverse City, the appointment is less about ceremony than continuity. Bunyea inherits a department with long-standing service obligations, a major EMS rollout still in motion, and the kind of operational pressure that can affect response times, staffing and fire coverage across the city.