BOARDMAN — Township leaders have confirmed that fire Chief Mark Pitzer will be leaving his post next month to accept a position in Canfield.

He was hired Tuesday as deputy chief following an executive session of the Cardinal Joint Fire District board. He will be paid $92,000 per year.

Township Administrator Mark Ragozine said Pitzer submitted his resignation letter on Tuesday, informing the township that he will step down on Aug. 7. Ragozine said Pitzer left he and trustees with no hard feelings.

Trustee chairman Steve Yacovone echoed that, but said Boardman will certainly miss its fire chief.

“We’re happy for him, and we wish him the best in his new position,” Yacovone said. “We’re going to keep moving forward and start the interview process. Obviously, it’s going to be a huge loss for the township. He’s done a great job for Boardman in his time here.”

Yacovone said it is unclear how the process of replacing Pitzer will go, but he said the board will follow a similar approach as it took with hiring Ragozine when longtime administrator Jason Loree needed to step down for health reasons earlier this year.

Loree spent the entirety of Pitzer’s tenure as fire chief in the administrator’s role.

“As a fire chief, he was extremely responsive and passionate about the job,” Loree said. “I worked really well with Mark over the years and wish him the best of luck at Cardinal Joint Fire District. He will do a fabulous job.”

PITZER STARTED

IN CANFIELD

As for the change, while it is uncommon for a fire chief in a large urban township to take a lower-tier position at a comparatively smaller department, Pitzer said it’s only about size when talking about the heart.

The 1999 Canfield High School graduate began his career with his local fire department and has always wanted to return.

“My heart is in my hometown. Canfield has always set the bar and standards for other communities to follow. In my profession, those high standards and values are what the community expects and deserves from us. Because of this, I have always strived to achieve those standards and be a rock for my community,” Pitzer said. “The decision was made after many long discussions with my wife and my family. A big decision such as this is not taken for granted and/or taken lightly. Returning to Canfield and continuing to foster a culture of high standards of public safety for my hometown is an honor that I accept with pride. I hope the community of Canfield feels the same way.”

Pitzer joined Cardinal as a part-time firefighter out of high school while attending Youngstown State University and earning his credentials as a paramedic. In 2003, he was one of the first three full-time firefighters hired by Cardinal, but joined Boardman later that year.

In 2008, Pitzer was among those furloughed during a financial crisis within the department, and worked as a supervisor for Lane LifeTrans ambulance company. He also worked from 2010 to 2011 as a firefighter with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, which he later said afforded him extensive training and leadership development.

Later in 2011, he returned to Boardman, when a federal SAFER grant allowed the township to rehire laid-off firefighters.

Pitzer was one of five internal applicants when Chief George Brown announced his retirement in 2014. Pitzer assumed the role of interim chief in June of that year and the chief’s badge was pinned on him in July.

“When Mark was hired, we knew that we had to build another fire station and he helped lead the way on the design for our new Station 71 (Market Street),” Loree said. “Not only that, Mark was also able to get the equipment and credentials negotiated along with the trustees to help run an ambulance unit when we have the staff to do so.”

SINGING PITZER’S PRAISES

Loree also credits Pitzer with developing a standardized training program for new hires and a comprehensive incident review process. Along with police Chief Todd Werth, Pitzer helped develop a critical staff debriefing process to help safety service personnel manage the stresses of their jobs.

Last month, he worked with township leaders and the firefighters union to push through a plan to provide Galleri DNA testing for occupational cancers in the department’s firefighters — the first department in Mahoning County to do so.

Boardman firefighters union president Brian Hallquist on Wednesday said staff are all supportive of Pitzer, but don’t relish the uncertainty that comes with his departure.

“He’s going to try to give himself a better opportunity,” Hallquist said. “But it’s pretty heartbreaking, because we had a great relationship with him. We’ve gotten a lot accomplished here together, with contract negotiations and just moving the fire department forward. It’s kind of scary because you don’t know who you’ll get in here next. With the chief, you know what you have and what kind of relationship there is.”

Hallquist said he thinks any one of the department’s assistant chiefs — Bill Glaser, Brian Barber and Robert John — “would do a fantastic job,” but he understands the position is open to outside applicants.

As for who will fill Pitzer’s seat in the interim, Hallquist said he is meeting with Ragozine Thursday and anticipates many of those details will be discussed.

Pitzer said he will miss the staff in Boardman but remains available to help the township whenever and however he can.

“Serving the community of Boardman over the last 23 years has been nothing short of amazing. The Township Administration and my firefighters have embraced me in ways I cannot describe. I have always been supported by both, regarding decisions I made, with the residents as the focal point of those decisions,” he said.

“Serving as the fire chief for the last 12 years has been my honor. We have been able to move this fire department forward and effect positive changes for the community…I want to thank the Boardman community for allowing me to serve them over the years. To my firefighters, thank you for always supporting me. I wish you all nothing but the best. Remember, if you ever need anything, I am only a phone call away.”