Justin Graves
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
SOUTHGATE – Justin Graves has been named the city’s new fire chief upon the retirement of Marc Hatfield.
Graves began his career in 2002 as a full-time firefighter paramedic in Flat Rock. A year later he joined the Southgate Fire Department, where he has spent the past 20 years.
He said the desire to help others is one of the main reasons he became a firefighter paramedic.
“There is an excitement of new challenges every day that drives me,” Graves said. “I pride myself on leading by example, being fair and having high moral values.”
He said the department recently applied for a grant to get new fire hoses, and he would also like to see the department upgrade its hydraulic extrication tools – also known as the Jaws of Life – to battery-powered extrication tools.
Graves said Fire Department employees are currently in the process of strengthening their response capability to active threat situations.
He was raised in Southgate and attended Anderson High School.
Graves has a twin brother who is a police officer in Taylor.
Graves and his wife enjoy traveling and he enjoys a round of golf when time permits.