Recognizing Captain Chris Madzik's Service to the City of Northville

Floor Speech

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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chris Madzik, Captain of the Northville Fire Department in Northville, MI on the occasion of his retirement. His dedication and commitment to the City of Northville over the last 28 years is worthy of commendation.

Chris joined the Northville Fire Department in 1995 because they were offering free training for a three-year commitment as an on-call firefighter. He fell in love with public service and became a full-time firefighter in 1998. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2002, followed quickly by another promotion to Lieutenant in 2003. He has been a Captain with the Northville FD since 2017.

Armed with a Masters of Human Resources and Labor Relations, Chris has spent his time with the Northville FD revamping policies and developing HR training. Chris, a charter member of Local 3961, served as the first union Vice- President and worked to implement 24-hour staffing for the fire department. When the Department transitioned to Advanced Life Support, Chris attended and graduated from Eastern Michigan's School of Fire Staff and Command in addition to earning his Paramedic's license. He served as a representative on the Westen Wayne Hazardous Materials Response Team for over 10 years, and he was selected by his peers as the Firefighter of the Year in 2017.

Almost 12 years ago, Chris rediscovered his love of music. Currently, he is a tenor in the Livingston County Choir and participates in concerts hosted by Expressions Music Academy in Novi. He has had the unique opportunity of representing the Department while singing the National Anthem at First Responder nights for the Detroit Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons. He plans to continue his work in public service for Howell Public Schools as a paraprofessional, where he will assist impaired children.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Captain Chris Madzik for the 28 years of service he has dedicated to the City of Northville. Chris's dedication and respect for the job serves as a constant reminder that local communities are dependent on the commitment of such public servants to keep its residents safe. We need more public servants like Chris, and though he may be retiring from fighting fires, I am hopeful that we will continue to hear that beautiful voice ringing out for years to come. I thank Chris and we wish him the best of luck with his future endeavors.

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