FFD Station Building Committee attends construction symposium
A crash, a mutual aid call and a handful of alarms were all a part of the Frankenmuth Fire Department’s week of action. There six alarms raised the 2025 total to 143 calls for service.
At 10:02am Tuesday, September 9, Bridgeport Fire Department requested a second alarm, which included Buena Vista, Frankenmuth, and Spaulding fire departments for smoke inside the Speedway Gas Station, 6595 Dixie Highway, Bridgeport.
Upon arrival, Engine 2 assisted interior crews with isolating the minor source of the smoke and natural ventilation of the building. FFD Chief Phil Kerns advised Frankenmuth was able to clear within 15 minutes of arrival, with a total of eight firefighters reporting for duty.
At 11:08pm Wednesday, September 10, fire personnel were summoned for a possible smoke scare at a home in the 700 block of Heine Street.
FFD Lt. Eric MacKinnon said following checking the residence with the Frankenmuth Police officers, no issue was found and the unit cleared within 20 minutes. Eleven firefighters traveled to the station.
At 10:06am Thursday, September 11, steam activated a smoke detector at the Frankenmuth Brewery, 425 South Main Street.
FFD Safety Officer Jamison Zehnder noted there was no fire. A total of 10 fire personnel were able to clear within minutes of the alarm activation.
At 6pm Thursday, September 11, a two-vehicle crash on East Genesee Street at Park Drive created some engine fluids to be cleaned off the streets. The FPD requested FFD to help with fluid containment.
FFD Captain Doug VanWormer advised that absorbent was applied to the road surface. Engine 1 and Squad 4 responded with 13 fire personnel, clearing 45 minutes later after assisting the FFD with traffic control and Reinert & Bender Auto Repair and Towing in removing the vehicles. Thirteen firefighters reported for action.
At 3:52pm Friday, September 12, the FFD was dispatched to Covenant Glen Memory Care, 1130 Drive, for a general fire alarm. Kerns said the front lobby pull station had been activated and the staff reset the alarm. Engine 2 and Truck 3 cleared within 15 minutes, with 13 firefighters answering the call.
Alarm No. 143 took place at 12:24pm Sunday, September 14, for an office fire at 210 Mayer Road, at the west Frankenmuth city limits, which is an adult foster care group home managed by Wellspring Lutheran Services.
Kerns said the fire alarm system activated and that a worker and another staff member smelled smoke and immediately evacuated the nine residents and called Saginaw County Central Dispatch 911.
FPD units arrived on scene, followed by the FFD. They utilized a dry chemical fire extinguisher to contain the fire to the ceiling-mounted fluorescent-style light fixture in the single-story, ranch-style home.
“When we arrived, no one was inside the facility and staff did a great job evacuating residents, as did the FPD officers in containing the flames. Fire crews entered the structure and checked for fire extension and ventilated the smoke,” Kerns said.
The residents were relocated to another facility due to the smoke damage inside the home. A damage restoration contractor was notified and responded to begin assessing the structure for re-occupancy. A total of 21 fire personnel responded, with Engine 1, Engine 2, Truck 3 and Squad 4 traveling to the scene, along with MMR Ambulance Service. They cleared after one hour of work.
In other FFD news, the mid-month training was held at the Frankenmuth River Place Shops where they reviewed the facilities fire protection systems and testing the dry hydrant system that was installed to aid them in the event of a fire. Maintenance workers assisted the FFD with the exercise and guided them on a pre-plan review of the area.
The FFD station has a steel girder from New York City, recovered from the attacks on September 11, 2001. It is displayed in front of the fire station and last Thursday, September 11, it drew a lot of attention as people reflected on that day.
“It is refreshing to note the number of visitors, including families, teachers and students, local Boy Scouts, and a local tour bus that took a moment to visit the Frankenmuth Community 9/11 Memorial on the 24th anniversary,” Kerns stated. “Those of us able to remember knew exactly where we were that day when the horrible news was learned. Suffering from the event continues for so many, and the peace and tranquility of the memorial is something the FFD is proud to host at our station. We thank the community for helping make this memorial happen and be regularly visited.”
Kerns also offers and AED maintenance reminder to the many businesses, churches, schools, and numerous other public and private facilities in the community who have AEDs.
“Like most other items, AEDs need to be regularly checked for battery operation and expiration dates for the pads, etc. Please consult the manufacturer of your device for guidance on inspection and maintenance of your unit. Finding out that it does not work when it is needed is not the time to learn that the battery has failed or other items like software are outdated,” Kerns explained.
Members of the FFD Building Committee attended a Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Station Construction Symposium last Tuesday, September 16, in Northville.
The committee members learned strategies for cost accountability and value for fire station visions, heard a case study of a recent station construction project and best approaches to planning via a three-member lessons learned panel of Michigan fire chiefs, and finally took a tour of Northville’s new station.
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