GRAND RAPIDS FIRE DEPARTMENT
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., first hosted the International Association of Fire Engineers in 1909. Within the ensuing 50 years, the Association, with its name changed to “Fire Chiefs,” has held its annual conference in the city on the banks of the Grand River in 1944, again in 1951 and will soon meet here once more in 1959. To those delegates and guests as well as readers who have never visited Grand Rapids, the following information may be of interest.
Protecting the approximate 200,000 residents and $1,500,000,000 of real estate within the city boundaries against fire is a force of 265 officers and men who staff 13 engine companies, five ladder companies and one rescue squad. These units are housed in 13 stations. The budget administered by the fire chief’s office for the year 1959 is $1,700,000.
The alarm system is of the telephone type with 285 street boxes. This is operated by two dispatchers on each shift under the direction of the supervisor of communications. Dispatching of companies in response to an alarm is by means of two-way intercom and telephone with radio for use with apparatus.
Normal residential response consists of two engines, a truck company, rescue squad and district chief. Still alarms for rubbish, automobiles, etc., call for one or more companies depending on the circumstances. In the high-value districts, four or more engines respond, together with two trucks and the rescue squad. Manpower for the units consists of six men per engine company and seven men on each truck and the rescue squad.
Supervising the department under the command of the fire chief are one deputy chief, eight district chiefs, 19 captains and 19 lieutenants. Each piece of apparatus has an engineer assigned per shift.
The men work 63 hours average per week and are subject to recall after the first 2-1-1 alarm. Upon recall, the offduty force mans eight engines, two trucks and a rescue squad maintained in reserve. A four-man maintenance force services all the department’s apparatus.
Operation
Water supply for the city is obtained from Lake Michigan, about 30 miles distant. Approximate pumping capacity of the water system is 70,000,000 gpd and 55,000,000 gallons are maintained in storage. The fire department has available 39,000 hydrants for its use.
One or two hose lines are stretched at all residential fires. At commercial or industrial alarms each engine stretches two lines and then returns to the hydrant for hook-up. To facilitate quick entry and attack, all apparatus is equipped with two or more self-contained masks.
Training
The training program is in charge of the deputy chief who directs a weekly session of all district chiefs. The latter then instruct the company personnel. Each company receives eight hours drill each week from a district chief and eight hours from his company officers.
A district chief holds each training class with two companies from his own district and a third company from another district. In this manner, under a roundrobin system, all men eventually receive training from each district chief in the department. District training is conducted at the drill grounds located at the “Island” with company drill taking place in each station.
Fire prevention and investigation
The inspection division consists of a chief and four inspectors who specialize in heating, church and school, industrial and commercial inspections. The division made 21,300 individual inspections during 1958.
In addition the individual fire companies also make home, school, church and industrial inspections in their own district. Over 170,000 of the latter were made in 1958 and it is expected this total will be increased in 1959.
The arson squad consists of a lieutenant and a police officer who investigate every fire of over $1,000 damage, as well as all suspicious fires. During 1958 a total of 158 fires were investigated by this team. Twelve of these were of suspicious nature and seven arson convictions were obtained.
