MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, MI - On June 24, Tavis Millerov was promoted to Fire Marshal in Meridian Township. This is a title Tavis says he has been working towards since he was a kid, following the footsteps of his father who just retired after 50 years in the fire service.

Although Millerov grew up around a fire station, his achievements did not come without hard work. Miller received his bachelor's degree in fire science at Lake Superior State University.

Millerov began his career for the Meridian Township fire service in 2000, where he worked as a firefighter medic for the first 14 years. In 2014, he was promoted to Fire Inspector in the fire prevention division.

“You can take the fire inspection part of the job and really narrow it down into three categories, which is inspection, fire investigation, and then public education,” said Millerov.

As the new Fire Marshal, Millerov is in charge of the fire investigation aspect of the department. According to Millerov, the state law says he must make a good faith effort to find the cause and origin of any fire that happens in the Township.

Miller also noted he is aware of the bad reputation the Fire Marshal title is given in movies and TV shows.

“Yes, I have some of the bad guy tendencies, people kind of see me that way. However, that's not the overall goal,” said Millerov. “I can count on one hand in 7 years how many times I have issued a citation.”

MIllerov said his ultimate goal is to just keep the community safe and educate residents on fire safety.