A new fire chief and deputy chief have been selected for Southfield by its city council.

Appointed as chief is Joey Thorington — who retired three years ago as Dearborn’s fire chief. He fills the position previously held by former Southfield Fire Chief Johnny Menifee, who retired in March.

Appointed as deputy fire chief is Mark Jackson, former fire lieutenant for the Detroit Fire Department.

The appointments were approved April 28, as recommended by City Administrator Fred Zorn.

Thorington has a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University. He also holds Fire Staff and Command certification from Eastern Michigan University and Executive Fire Officer certification from the National Fire Academy. He’s described as “a passionate and experienced fire chief with a proven track record of leading firefighting teams to excellence.”

Jackson has master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Cleary University. He has experience as professional emergency manager, fire service administrator, fire officer, hazardous materials technician, arson investigator and more

“Fire Chief Thorington has a strong desire to work with our management team to further the goals and objectives of our elected officials — namely to keep Southfield residents safe and secure,” said Zorn. “I am confident that Fire Chief Thorington and Deputy Fire Chief Mark Jackson will continue to do an excellent job in maintaining the Southfield standard of excellence in the delivery of fire and EMS services.”

The Southfield Fire Department has five fire stations and a staff of 107 serving Southfield and Lathrup Village. In 2023, its busiest year on record, Southfield firefighters responded to 16,479 calls for service. It’s also considered the busiest fire department in Oakland County.