Butler's new fire chief and fire marshal said he wants to foster a cooperative approach to emergency response and fire prevention between the city's full-time department and Butler Township's volunteer fire companies.

“This position is a great platform to facilitate a cooperative approach to fire protection in the area,” said Christopher Switala, who was appointed chief Tuesday by Mayor Ben Smith.

Switala said he will resign from his position as fire marshal of Butler Township, which he has held since April.

He will work full-time as the city's chief and fire marshal and work on an as-needed basis as chief of the township's three volunteer fire departments, which are in the process of merging into one department.

The city's career department provides immediate response to fires and emergencies while the township departments respond with greater manpower, he said.

“You can help them be the best of both worlds,” Switala said. “Between the city and township the vision I have is for the departments to build upon the history of service they already provide.”

There are few shared or joint fire chiefs in the country, he said.

“I just saw this as a unique opportunity. I saw this as an opportunity to put in that cooperative approach. It's something that would be unique in this area and in the state. It can be a model to deal with dwindling volunteerism and some of the cost constraints with career departments,” Switala said.

He said he believes in being proactive and in community service. Firefighters will use time between calls for fire prevention work and community outreach, he said.

In the city, Switala is filling a position that has been vacant since former chief Nick Ban retired in 2016.