|
Director
David Bulling is a 23-year veteran of the Ionia Department of Public Safety.
Director Bulling was hired as a part time police officer with the Ionia City
Police Department in July of 1982 after graduating from Delta College in March
of 1982. Bulling was then hired on as a full time officer in February of 1983.
Bulling worked as a road officer until the merge of the City of Ionia Fire and
Police departments in 1987. Bulling then worked as a Public Safety Officer
until January of 1992 when he was promoted to the position of Detective.
Bulling was the first Detective in the history of the City of Ionia. In June of
1993 Bulling was promoted to the position of Detective Sergeant. Bulling was
then promoted to Lieutenant in August of 1998. In January of 2000 Bulling was
promoted to the position of Deputy Director. On August 1st of 2001
Bulling was appointed to the position of Director of Public Safety by City
Manager Thomas Wieczorek and approved by the Ionia City Council.
Deputy Director David Wirth is
a 21-year veteran of the Ionia Department of Public Safety. Wirth was hired
with the Ionia City Police Department in 1984 after completing training at the
Mid Michigan Police Academy in Lansing, Michigan. After three years of working
solely as a police officer, Wirth, along with the rest of the officers on the
police department received Firefighter I training, thus also certifying him as a
firefighter. Shortly thereafter the City of Ionia merged its police and fire
departments to form what is now known as the Ionia Department of Public Safety.
In 1994
Wirth attended D.A.R.E. Officers training school and upon completion took over
the department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. In addition to
performing both police and fire duties, Wirth taught the D.A.R.E. program in the
Ionia area schools for six years before being appointed as the department’s
second detective in the fall of 1999. In late 2000 Wirth was promoted to
Detective Sergeant. His duties then not only included criminal investigations,
but supervisory responsibilities as well.
With the
retirement of Chief Roger Frazee in August of 2001, newly appointed Director
David Bulling then appointed Wirth as his deputy director. Wirth still
currently serves as the departments Deputy Director, and his duties now include
supervisory responsibilities and assisting with the day-to-day operations of the
department. Wirth’s primary focus since being appointed as Deputy Director had
been to attain the accredited status through the Commission on Fire
Accreditation International, a process by which the department
substantially improved its service to the community.
Sergeant
Troy Thomas is a 17 year veteran of Ionia Department of Public Safety,
graduating from Grand Rapids Junior College in 1989 with an Associate Degree in
Criminal Justice. He was hired by the Department in late 1989 and received his
Fire Fighter I status in 1990. He received the Public Safety Officer of the
Year award in 1999.
Thomas
worked as a Public Safety Officer for eleven years and was promoted to Patrol
Sergeant in 2000. Duties include overseeing the Patrol and Fire Suppression
Divisions, Evidence Room, Scheduling for the Department, Training Coordinator,
Local Emergency Planning Commission Member, and F.O.I.A. Coordinator.
He has
been on the Ionia Special Operations Team since it’s inception in 1999 and is
currently co-Team Leader. He has received training in Raid Entry and Drug
Search Warrant Entry and is an instructor in Distraction Devices and Chemical
Aerosol Agents.
Thomas is the Project
Manager for the upcoming Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement
Agencies, which will improve the Department on the Law Enforcement side much as
the Fire Accreditation has done for the Fire Suppression side of the Department.
Detective
Sergeant John Odette has been with the Ionia Department of Public Safety for 14
years. Odette started out working as a firefighter in 1991 and a short time
later became a Public Safety Officer and has been for over 9 years. Odette
earned an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from Lansing Community College
and graduated from Ferris State University with an Associates degree in Business
Administration. Odette was sworn in as a Public Safety Officer in May of 1993
after completing the 52nd Police Academy through Lansing Community
College.
In 1998,
Odette was awarded Public Safety Officer of the year by his peers. After 8
years as a Public Safety Officer, Odette was promoted to Sergeant in May of
2001. Odette was again promoted to Detective Sergeant in August of 2001, to
fill the position vacated by David Wirth, who was appointed Deputy Director.
Ionia
Public Safety established its full time detective position in 1992. Since that
time, this position had served as the primary investigative unit within the City
of Ionia. Investigations of major case crimes include sexual and narcotic
offenses, fraudulent activities, death investigations, and arson investigations.
The
detective position requires the application of different methods of
investigative tools to help recognize and identify crime scenes and preserve and
collect evidence. This officer is trained in processing crime scenes, gathering
any trace evidence, as well as the handling of physical evidence, finger
printing, photography, and plaster casting.
In
addition to his detective duties, Odette handles various administrative issues
as well as the officer and department’s day-to-day activities. In December of
2001, Odette received his Medical First Responders license.
Odette has
been a member of the Department’s Special Operations Team (I.S.O.T.) since its
inception and is currently one of the team leaders as well as the tactical team
sniper. Odette has received a wide variety of training in this area, which
includes Basic Warrant Service, Raid and Entry, Counter Sniper Training, and is
also a Simunitions Supervisor. Odette is currently the I.S.O.T. tactical
instructor, as well as the Department’s firearms and range officer.
| 
