After a months-long search, the Brighton Area Fire Authority has named Brighton Township resident Michael Evans as the next deputy fire chief.

The search for a deputy chief yielded 29 applicants and included qualification reviews, oral interviews and complete background investigations. Evans will receive a salary of $79,000 from the Brighton Area Fire Authority.

Evans has served the City of Novi Fire Department for the past 23 years, in the role of fire marshal for the last 15 years.

Evans began his career while still in high school, as a cadet with the Walled Lake Fire Department Cadet.

"I enjoyed the idea of helping people and it got into my blood," Evans said.

Evans is also involved in the Michigan Fire Inspectors Society, is a graduate and now a teacher of the Fire Staff and Command program at Eastern Michigan University and has two years remaining in completing his Executive Fire Officer (EFO) training at the National Fire Academy in in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

EFO training is a four year program that only accepts 50 to 60 people from the U.S. each year. It involves attending two to four weeks of school and writing two in-depth research papers every year.

Evans' appointment comes just months after Michael O'Brian assumed the role of fire chief.

The deputy chief is the second in command of the Brighton Area Fire Authority and will have a lot of different roles, according to O'Brian.

"Mike is going to be a critical part in our senior command staff," O'Brian said. "His role will be evolving because, really, we're short a position here at the Fire Authority. We used to have a fire chief, deputy chief and a fire marshal. Really, between him and I, we will be splitting up that fire marshal job with our inspectors.

"He's going to dabble in a little bit of everything, but he's got this emphasis to make sure we're running smoothly in operations and organization - and whatever it takes to support that, whether its training, budgeting or administration," O'Brian said. "He gets to be master in a lot of different areas."

Evans said he is excited to begin his new job.

"I live in Brighton Township and I have been watching the growth of the Brighton Area Fire Authority since it's inception in 2000," Evans said. "I have the utmost respect for Chief O'Brian and the organization. So when this position came up - not that I was ready to leave Novi - but I felt it was a great opportunity to serve my home community that I am living in and raising my family in. The timing just worked out right. I'm extremely excited to be a part of the organization and I'm looking forward to the years ahead."