The city of Southlake announced the retirement of Fire Chief Mike Starr in an Aug. 9 news release.

The background

Starr joined the Southlake Fire Department in 1997 after serving with the Aubrey and The Colony fire departments. He was a firefighter/paramedic when he got to Southlake and later was promoted to fire driver/engineer, captain and then chief in 2008.

Under his tenure, the fire department has grown from 45 to 74 employees.

Starr's last day will be Aug. 31.


Quote of note

“Chief Starr’s guidance has been crucial in navigating the challenges of a growing department while maintaining high service standards,” City Manager Alison Ortowski said in a news release. “Throughout his tenure, he has remained committed to leading and developing a department that models best-in-class service delivery.”