The Clinton Township Fire Department, now the Department of Fire-Rescue-EMS, was established on May 2, 1945. The department, at the time of its inception, consisted of one station, one fire chief and 25 volunteers. Throughout the years, the department grew to a staff of 99 and expanded to five stations. Unfortunately, with the economic downturn the past several years, the fire department has contracted. Although five stations are still operational, there are now only 55 full-time firefighters, two Chief Officers, two in the Fire Marshal’s Division, two additional personnel in the Training Division and two non-firefighting employees. What started out as a 28 square mile sparsely populated northern suburb of Detroit has grown to a community of about 96,000 residents. Clinton Township is the 10th most populated community in Michigan.
Our headquarters station houses the administrative offices and the fire dispatch center, as well as the shift commander, one engine company and the fire investigation unit. The south end is protected by Station 2, now with one engine. Recently-built Station 1, serving the eastern portion of the Township, currently houses an engine, a ladder truck and hazardous-materials response vehicles. Our western areas are served by Station 3, housing one engine, a rescue boat and a water rescue vehicle. Station 5, covering the northeast portion of the Township, an area previously remote to the other stations, houses one engine and three fully equipped specialized rescue trailers. Station 5 also serves as the Training Division’s Office and training center.
Just about every year, the department has experienced an increase in run volume. Expanded services to the community, including Advanced Life Support “Echo” units, has had a large impact. In 2012, the department responded to 10,344 requests for service, an increase of over 700 runs, or 7.7% over the 2011 year-end totals.
Our administrative staff consists of the Fire Chief and Deputy Chief. The Fire Chief is responsible for the overall operations of the fire department. The Deputy Chief assists supervising the administrative office personnel and the Bureaus within the Fire Department. The administration operates from Station 4, or Headquarters.
The Fire Prevention Bureau, also known as the Fire Marshal’s Division, is located at Headquarters. The division is comprised of the Fire Marshal and one Inspector. Their duties include scheduling and recordkeeping in regards to fire inspections, providing fire prevention presentations to school children and other groups, and also conduct fire investigations. Two clerical staff members round out the administrative offices.
The Training Office is located at Station 5, adjacent to the Donald CrewsTraining Center. One Chief of Training oversees, develops and schedules training for the department. He is assisted by an EMS (Emergency Medical Service) Officer. The training division is also in charge of tracking training records for the department’s personnel, to assist in establishing policies and is active on fire scenes as the Safety Officer. The EMS Officer is responsible for the operation of the EMS program, tracking licensures and the organization and distribution of medical supplies. One office staff member is shared with the Training Division.
The department receives the majority of requests for assistance through an Enhanced 911 System. At the fire department’s Communication Center, calls are dispatched through a computer aided dispatch system, sending maps and data sheets to the station or stations required. Mobile data terminals (MDTs) installed in all fire apparatus, giving the officer precise mapping to the location of the call and pertinent data regarding that location, make this a critical part of the fire department’s operation.
For further information about our department, please contact us at the above e-mail address or telephone number. Stay tuned for future articles regarding current events, fire prevention, and what’s been happening within our department.