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Kentwood commission receives fire department 2024 annual report detailing rising EMS calls and training
Summary
The Kentwood City Commission voted to receive and file the Fire Department2024 annual report. The chief said EMS responses accounted for about 70% of calls, average response times improved, and the department plans a commission-approved training center this year.
The Kentwood City Commission on April 1 voted to receive and file the Fire Department2024 annual report after a presentation by the fire chief.
The chief told commissioners the department operates from three stations with 56 employees and a roughly $9.4 million budget, responded to 5,331 runs in 2024 and recorded about 3,706 medical incidents. "Most of our business is EMS related," the chief said, adding EMS comprised "about 70%" of the department's work.
The report noted average response time stood at about 4 minutes 30 seconds, better than the department's prior target of 5:20. The chief highlighted nearly 10,000 training hours, about 2,500 inspections, 227 plan reviews and 22 fire investigations in 2024. He also described community outreach such as school visits and a steadily increasing number of smoke-alarm installations.
Commission discussion focused on the distinction between false alarms and good-intent calls. The chief explained a false alarm is a dispatch when no issue is found, while a good-intent call is when a caller reasonably believes there is an emergency (for example, visible smoke that turns out to be a leaf burn). Commissioner Morgan said understanding the difference mattered for operational efficiency.
The chief said the department will begin groundwork this summer on a commission-approved training center and expects installation around September. After brief remarks from commissioners the mayor called for a motion to receive and file the report; the motion passed by voice vote.
No formal budget changes or directives were adopted at the meeting. Commissioners thanked department staff for the report and for the department's community work.
