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Fire chief reports rise in calls, expanded smoke‑alarm installs and approval for mobile command software
Summary
The Kentwood fire chief reported an increase in calls in August, a large number of smoke-alarm installations supported by a new state grant and the commission approved a sole-source annual license for Tablet Command mobile-incident software.
Kentwood’s fire chief presented the August activity report to the City Commission on Sept. 16, noting an increase in calls and several departmental initiatives including expanded smoke-alarm installations and a new training grounds project. The commission also approved an annual license agreement for mobile incident-management software.
Chief Loeven told commissioners the department responded to 10 fires in August and reported EMS calls of 321 and a total monthly response count of 455 (year-to-date increases were noted). He said the top call reasons were breathing problems, falls and traffic accidents. The chief reported no fire-service or civilian deaths for the month and no Narcan administrations.
The department completed a high number of smoke-alarm installs: Commissioner Arts cited a figure of 726 installed smoke alarms and praised staff for the effort. Chief Loeven said the state fire marshal has leveraged another $1 million in the next state budget to provide smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms for additional communities and that the city has ongoing access to state-supplied alarms for at least another year.
The department also completed a joint public-safety training ground (police, fire and DPW) and will host manufacturer training next week, Loeven said.
Separately, the commission authorized a sole-source annual license with Tablet Command (Mobile Command Software) not to exceed $27,300 per year. The chief said the software supports NFPA-required tracking of personnel on scene, integrates with Grand Rapids’ system for mutual aid interoperability, timestamps and maps units, and connects to the city’s staffing software. He told commissioners the department already has compatible tablets for the program and that the purchase is a proactive safety and accountability step.
The mobile-command license was approved by motion. The fire-report acceptance was motioned to receive and file along with the police monthly report.
