By: Mary Beth Almond | Shelby-Utica News | Published June 1, 2026
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Acting Shelby Township Fire Chief Josh Fouchia has been named the new chief of the Shelby Township Fire Department.
He replaces former Shelby Township Fire Chief Franklyn Pierce IV, who retired from his post in December after nearly 29 years of service to the community, including five years as chief.
Fouchia, who was formally sworn in during a May 20 ceremony, has served as Shelby Township’s acting fire chief for the past six months. He will be paid an annual salary of $150,000 this year with yearly increases leading to an annual salary of $172,930 effective Jan. 1, 2030.
“I’m very humbled and honored to be named fire chief,” Fouchia said during the ceremony. “We’ve got a tremendous number of great people here and strong support from the board. We have a great foundation, and we can make it even better.”
Fouchia has been with the fire service for 25 years. He began his career with the Lenox Township Fire Department, where his father, Dennis Fouchia, served as fire chief for more than two decades.
Dennis Fouchia said the ceremony was “a great moment for our family,” adding that his son is a third-generation firefighter.
“There are only four other families in Macomb County history where a father and son have served as fire chief,” Dennis Fouchia said.
Officials said Josh Fouchia has spent the last 22 years in Shelby Township building a career defined by service, innovation and a commitment to training the next generation of firefighters. His career path includes more than two years as assistant fire chief, two years as training chief, six months as captain/EMS coordinator, three years as a lieutenant/medic, and 17 years as a firefighter/paramedic.
Fouchia has spent nearly 25 years as a fire instructor at Macomb Community College, where he is the only two‑time recipient of the Macomb County Fire Instructor of the Year award. For more than a decade, he taught paramedic students at Baker College and St. Clair County Community College and is currently among a small number of Michigan fire service professionals to hold Fire Officer 4, Fire Instructor 3, and Paramedic Instructor certifications.
Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said Fouchia knows that leadership is not about issuing orders from behind a desk; it is about standing shoulder to shoulder with those who answer the call, while never losing sight of the resources they need to come home safely at the end of their shift.
“Chief, the people of this community are placing their faith in you. We know you will guard their lives, their homes and their trust with the same steady hand and clear eye that have defined your career,” Stathakis said during the ceremony.