FFD lends mutual aid at 2 fires
A pair of mutual aid alarms brought the Frankenmuth Fire Department to assist fellow firefighters last week.
At 7:05pm Monday, November 2, the FFD was called to the Frankenmuth Conservation Club, 8415 East Curtis Road.
FFD Lt. Jeff Kribs was on the scene and advised some steam had activated the kitchen smoke detector and the club will be making some modifications to their system as it has been a common occurrence when they utilize their kitchen. A total of 18 firefighters reported for duty and cleared within minutes.
At 9:56am Tuesday, November 3, the FFD was activated for an outdoor burn on Block Road. North of East Genesee Street.
FFD Assistant Chief Dan Schneirla said a controlled burn for leaves was in process, and the pile was nearly consumed by the flames. Fourteen fire personnel answered the alarm, Engine 2 and Brush 5 responded, and all units cleared following 25 minutes at the scene.
At 11:52am Thursday, November 5, a carbon monoxide detector activation drew the department to the 400 block of Craemer Drive. The detector was faulty, according to FFD Crew Leader Jeff Weiss, and units cleared after finding no readings. Seven firefighters made the trip to the station, and headed home 20 minutes later.
Alarms 196, 197, and 198 for the year 2026 all took place at 6:16pm Sunday, November 8. FFD, Buena Vista, Birch Run, and Spaulding Township fire departments assisted Bridgeport Fire with a two-story farm house fire in the 6000 block of King Road, near Reimer Road.
FFD Lt. Eric MacKinnon reported Frankenmuth crews assisted with fire suppression and overhaul on the heavily-damaged home.
While fighting the fire, neighboring Woodbridge Event Barn had two separate water flow alarms. Engine 2 checked as Bridgeport had their hands full fighting the house blaze. The FFD cleared close to 10pm, with 17 fire personnel reporting for duty.
FFD Fire Chief Phil Kerns advised structure fires require approximately 20 personnel on average in order to safely manage the scene. Plus, departments have to be ready to respond to subsequent call(s) while battling such an incident.
“Mutual aid is a vital part of firefighting for every community and by working together, departments become accustomed to each other and become more proficient at tasks that they sometimes are not able to experience either at trainings or because fires do not occur regularly to gain the experience needed to succeed,” Kerns stated.
Most departments in Saginaw County, especially in more rural areas, are either paid on-call or volunteer, like the FFD.
“We are experiencing a decline in membership regionally and nationally, and it is essential to our health and safety to perform our tasks with this in mind, knowing we have limited personnel available,” Kerns said.
Stubborn fires, hard-to-reach areas, weather and more can make battling these fires, or handling larger crash scenes, very difficult and tiring.
�use the work is often labor intensive and grueling, firefighter fatigue is a real issue and rotating on-scene personnel is a necessity for scene commanders to prevent and/or reduce fireground injuries,” Kerns pointed out.
Fire alarm No. 199 took place at 2:40pm Monday, November 9, at Home 2 Suites, 1088 South Main Street, for a smoke detector alarm. It was a false alarm.
In other FFD news, last Tuesday evening’s mid-month training saw the department members take advantage of the mild weather and they utilized their time training with ladders.
The FFD was also on hand for the Frankenmuth varsity football game against Armada, assisting the Frankenmuth Police with medical coverage. Early Saturday morning, they and the FPD provided an escort through town as the Frankenmuth varsity cross country teams traveled to Brooklyn’s Michigan International Speedway for the MHSAA Division 2 State Finals.
With the heating season upon us, Kerns said fire departments see a growing number of responses to heating system-related calls due to the cold weather. These fires remain the leading cause of home fires based on recent statistics.
“I remind the public that home fires occur more in the winter months than any other time of the year, and persons should follow these heating tips to help prevent winter fires and stay safe this heating season,” Kerns said.
They include:
Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from all heating sources, including fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, space heaters, or candles;
Never use an oven to heat a home;
Turn off space heaters when leaving the room or going to bed, and;
Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected each year by a license professional.
𠇊lso, please remember to test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Check the age of your detectors and consider replacement if they are dated more than 10 years or the manufacturer recommends replacement after a certain period of time,” Kerns explained.
Smoke detectors should be placed at every level of a dwelling, in a hallway leading to every bedroom(s), and in every bedroom. Carbon monoxide detectors are not to be located on every level, and should be tested and dates checked.
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