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Grand Rapids fire prevention officials report stable fire responses, expand residential alarm program
Summary
Deputy Fire Chief Keith Borsen told the Public Safety Committee the number of reported alarms has risen while actual structure fires held steady; the department said its residential safety program has installed thousands of smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors and will emphasize lithium‑ion battery safety during Fire Prevention Week.
Deputy Fire Chief Keith Borsen told the Grand Rapids City Public Safety Committee that while 911 alarm reports have risen since 2020, the number of actual structure fires the department responds to has remained “fairly stagnant.”
The message came as Borsen walked committee members through departmental trends and prevention work. “So far year to date, 112 actual fires within the city of Grand Rapids,” he said, and then described the fire prevention division’s outreach.
The nut of the department’s argument to the committee was that education and prevention are limiting severe fires even as calls increase. “The gold or yellow line across the top is reported structure fires. ... even though the incidence of the alarm reporting or people calling 911 continues to trend…
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