County hires new fire chief after months-long search
The journey to find a new chief for Polk County Fire-Rescue was a long one, but an experienced and professional candidate has been selected to lead the volunteer department with a renewed purpose.
County leaders announced this week that Mike Hanuscin has been hired as the next Polk County fire chief, ending a nearly two-year period of searching for the next permanent department head.
Hanuscin comes to Polk County with more than 30 years in firefighting, with over 12 years as a volunteer firefighter.
He served with the Charleston, S.C., fire department for 30 years from 19922001. During that time he began as a firefighter and worked his way up to battalion chief, which was his position before retiring.
Prior to his retirement from the Charleston Fire Department, Hanuscin became the accreditation and ISO compliance manager for the department, where he helped the department regain a Class 1 ISO rating.
A Certified Firefighter II, Fire Instructor II, and Fire Officer IV, Hanuscin has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University. In 2019, he graduated from the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program. He also serves as a Fire Service textbook reviewer for Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations.
Hanuscin is set to start his new position Monday, March 13. He has stated his goal is “to positively impact the fire service and those who serve alongside me” while also working to create a safer community. Polk County Fire-Rescue has approximately 80 firefighters that serve nine stations throughout the unincorporated areas of Polk County, according to the county’s website, and are required to maintain a minimum level of training each year. The department currently has an ISO rating of 6 out of a possible 10.
Barry Trammell served as interim fire chief since April 2021 after he previously served as battalion chief for Station 9 on Lake Creek Road in Cedartown.