FFD retirees invited to give input into the proposed fire station
The Frankenmuth Fire Department answered four calls for service while also dealing with county-wide software issues, giving FFD retirees an update on the proposed fire station, and they discussed their worker’s compensation review.
At 2:03pm Friday, April 10, a fire alarm at the Drury Inn, 260 South Main Street, summoned the FFD and Engine No. 2. Due to substantial renovations being made both inside and out, construction workers triggered an alarm in the hotel’s pool area.
They attempted to disregard the alarm as accidental, however, eight firefighters reported and cleared after 20 minutes.
At 6:39pm Sunday, April 12, a passerby reported a ditch fire near the Timbers Golf Course, 7300 Bray Road, Tuscola Township.
FFD Captain Matt Vasicek advised a maintenance project was being supervised and was under control. A dozen fire personnel made the trip to the station, clearing 30 minutes later.
Alarm No. 56 for the year 2026 was a third-shift fire drill at the Wellspring Group Home, 210 Mayer Road. It was accidently transmitted to Saginaw County Central Dispatch 911.
FFD Chief Phil Kerns said the staff was not aware the drill would activate Frankenmuth Fire. Nine firefighters responded and cleared within minutes.
Finally, alarm No 57 drew the FFD to Covenant Glen, 1040 Covenant Drive, for a general fire alarm in the kitchen (Ansul System). The FFD reported and found it false, clearing within minutes.
In other FFD news, last week, Saginaw County Central Dispatch 911 experienced some technical issues with dispatching software resulting in text pages not being sent to first responders and their cell phones.
𠇊lthough our voice pagers remain the primary dispatch for fire calls, many of our firefighters rely on their cell phones for notifications due to the ease of carrying them over a bulky pager. We are aware of the matter and will rely on our voice pagers until the matter can be resolved, although some improvements are already underway,” Kerns said.
The FFD’s Building Committee met with FFD retirees Monday evening, April 13, to review conceptual drawings for the proposed new fire station.
“We last met in late summer last year, and because of their service, knowledge, experience, and continued support, we brought them up to date on the project,” Kerns pointed out.
Plans continue to be looked at, tweaked, and streamlined for the FFD’s planned, proposed new station and the building will feature drive-through apparatus bays to further safeguard the public, fire personnel, and apparatus.
“Let’s face it. Motorists are in a hurry these days and often distracted, Backing a multi-ton, vision-limited fire truck into the station is a challenge, regardless of traffic conditions and the practice being unsafe. We currently have no choice but to wait for less congestion or stop traffic (on West Genesee Street) to back in,” Kerns stated.
FFD Apparatus Committee Chair and Captain Doug VanWormer said that despite the safety features offered on new apparatus, blind spots cannot be overcome and the days have passed where fire trucks can be safely backed into a station off the public rights-of-way.
“Years ago, the FFD placed firefighter traffic spotters with Stop signs on the street in front of the station, but that was short-lived due to close calls they had encountered on a regular basis. A human body blocker is no match for a motor vehicle,” Kerns explained.
The safest option is to create a drive-through apparatus bay so that returning fire trucks can avoid blocking and backing into the new station.
“Just think, we can drive thousands of miles forward without an accident, but as soon as we back several feet or yards, bang, the likelihood of crash occurring is magnified intensely. Just look at the statistics of backing accidents versus forward collisions,” the chief noted.
The new station will be located on the north side of West Genesee Street, just east of Dehmel Road, where the “leaning barn” was razed last year.
Michigan Municipal League Worker’s Compensation Risk Manager Todd Weaver conducted an annual review of the FFD’s policy and “we are glad to report that our WC multiplier remains under 1.00 for the third straight year,” Kerns said.
On Tuesday evening, April 14, the department’s mid-month fire training consisted of reviewing proper traffic control and safety at or near roadway incidents. A certified instructor reviewed the formal training and the FFD will conduct applicable table-top exercises for roadways and intersections to gain a better understanding of best practices when roadways are impacted by incidents.
The Frankenmuth Police and Frankenmuth Department of Public Works (DPW) were also invited to attend.
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