FFD busy with pond rescue, working the Auto Festival
On top of all the detail work for Frankenmuth Auto Fest, the Frankenmuth Fire Department responded to seven calls for service, including a pond rescue at the corner of Dehmel and Curtis Roads in Frankenmuth Township.
At 10:06am Monday, September 7, the FFD was summoned to the Drury Inn, 260 South Main Street, when employees created steam as they cleaned a hot griddle, triggering a fire alarm. The FFD quickly confirmed it and was able to clear within 10 minutes of the call, with eight firefighters reporting for duty.
At 6:53pm Wednesday, September 9, the Frankenmuth Police requested FFD assistance to gain entry into a ground floor apartment unit at 435 West Schleier Street. The tenant was unable to unlock the unit.
Upon arrival, MMR Ambulance Service and police officers forced entry and the tenant was transported to a Saginaw-area hospital. A dozen fire personnel responded and cleared within 15 minutes.
At 4:51am Friday, September 11, a passerby reported seeing a vehicular crash at the Dehmel and Curtis roads intersection by The Fortress Golf Course pond along hole No. 13.
The FPD and FFD responded and, upon arrival, observed a pickup truck had traveled north on Dehmel Road, drove through the “T” intersection, and evidently launched the truck nearly 50 yards through the guard rail and nearly over the pond. The pickup truck came to rest on the north side of the pond near the pond bank.
Frankenmuth Police located the driver, a lone male, who had walked to a neighboring residence. He was transported by MMR to a Saginaw-area hospital. Firefighters assisted police and MMR responders with the victim, while another crew checked the pond perimeter and truck landing site for additional victims.
𠇊 large amount of debris from the pickup truck’s bed was thrown and scattered about upon impact. Thankfully there were no more victims and no one was around the pond,” FFD Chief Phil Kerns said.
Kerns said Squad 4, Engine 2, and Brush 5 responded and assisted Reinert & Bender with the truck’s removal. Golf course staff also arrived and finished with clean-up efforts. A total of 15 firefighters reported and cleared 90 minutes later.
At 4:07pm Saturday, September 12, the FFD traveled to Winter Village, 255 Mayer Road, for a fire alarm. FFD Assistant Chief Dan Schneirla advised a tenant had overheated some food in a first-floor apartment. A total of 13 fire personnel made the trip to the station, and all units cleared within 20 minutes.
At 8:09am Sunday, September 13, firefighters answered a call for a carbon monoxide detector at a residence in the 100 block of East Vates Street. No readings were detected, and the 16 fire personnel disbanded within 25 minutes.
Also on Sunday, at 12:10pm, the FFD responded to another CO detector alarm in the 9000 block of Warnick Road, Frankenmuth Township. This one was also a false alarm and the 13 FFD personnel reported and cleared within 30 minutes.
Alarm No. 165 for the year 2026 took place at 4:22pm on Sunday.
This call was for an exiting food trailer leaving Heritage Park following Frankenmuth Auto Fest. The trailer pulled down a light pole near the Harvey Kern Community Pavilion, 601 Weiss Street. FFD Captain Doug VanWormer noted the pole was owned by the city, and power was disconnected. Firefighters cleared after 20 minutes, with 14 reporting to the fire hall.
In other FFD news, Schneirla coordinated efforts between the fire and police departments, and listed the final statistics for the long, three-day weekend:
A total of 29 hours of medical coverage was provided by firefighters;
A total of 28 fire personnel provided fire and medical coverage;
Bridgeport, Birch Run, and Vassar fire departments assisted in the city and Heritage Park;
A dedicated MMR basic unit was staffed for entire 29 hours;
The FFD handled 19 medical responses based on Saginaw County Central Dispatch 911 calls, as well as walk-up requests;
Six patients were transported for further medical attention, and;
Two fire department responses took place related to Auto Fest – fuel containment from a motorcycle accident on Main Street Saturday afternoon, and a downed wire in Heritage Park Sunday afternoon.
At 3:30pm Friday, September 11, FFD Chaplain Dan Sebald led a brief 25th anniversary prayer service attended by the public and firefighters at the Community’s 9/11 Memorial in front of the fire station.
Firefighters concluded the service by placing a wreath at the memorial, which was donated by the Kerr family.
“Throughout the day, teachers and classrooms as well as many citizens visited the memorial, and throughout the weekend,” Kerns stated.
The FFD also took time to reflect on the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Cass River flooding event, which occurred between September 10-12. Rains deluged the Great Lakes Bay region and caused record flooding in the region’s rivers and towns, including Frankenmuth.
𠇎stimates determined it was a 500-year flood event with 8-10 inches of rain falling on just one of those three days. Many first responders left their families for flood duty and did not return home until days later, responding to the community’s needs,” Kerns recalled.
Firefighters, city departments, and citizen volunteers battled rising flood waters and supplemented pump stations, filled and stacked sand bags on top of the downtown levee, and watched and prayed it would hold back the rising and record-setting water.
Frankenmuth City-Township Commission Treasurer Kathy Marshall submitted a grant for nearly $20,000 to the state for reimbursement of five sets of firefighting turn-out gear.
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