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Fire chief outlines fifth strategic plan; department keeps ISO Class 1 rating
Summary
The Grand Rapids Fire Department presented its fifth strategic plan outlining five pillars — response, training, prevention, wellness and support services — and reported maintaining an ISO Class 1 rating, rolling out EMT-B training for all members, proactive wellness screenings and a planned PFAS-free turnout gear transition.
The Grand Rapids Fire Department presented its fifth strategic plan to the Public Safety Committee, confirming a nine- to twelve-month planning process and a vision statement revised to set a national benchmark. The department also reported key operational wins, including maintenance of an ISO Class 1 rating and completion of EMT‑Basic training for all street personnel.
The fire chief said the department’s updated vision is to “become the safest midsize city in the country by developing our members to provide industry-leading fire and rescue services.” The plan is organized into five pillars — response, training, prevention, wellness and support services — and the department assigns owners, backups, goals, tasks and fiscal commitments for each strategy item. Leadership said the operational detail behind the one-page placemat is available and is reviewed every six months.
Among recent accomplishments the chief highlighted: the department maintained an ISO Class 1 rating (the presentation noted it is the only department in the state with that rating), implemented EMT‑Basic training across the force, used grant funds to initiate proactive cancer screening that identified life‑threatening conditions in members, and launched or refreshed public-education efforts such as second‑grade fire-safety presentations across the city’s schools. The chief said the department is transitioning foam and turnout-gear procurement to PFAS-free options and that a full gear transition will take several years because of replacement cycles.
The department also said it is standing up a new emergency management function and that a new emergency manager will begin Monday; the city manager said the role will help coordinate faster, localized disaster recovery for incidents that do not meet federal-state declaration thresholds. The operational plan also references the homeless outreach team and other community-facing programs; the chief said the operational plan can be shared with the Public Safety Committee and posted on the department website.
The committee discussed occupational health precautions and PFAS exposure. The chief said the department conducts NFPA-compliant annual physicals and extensive blood panels, and he confirmed the department is transitioning to PFAS-free turnout gear on a multi-year replacement schedule.
Committee members praised the department’s internal process and invited staff to publish the operational plan for committee review. The fire chief invited committee members to a post-meeting reception where department staff were celebrating recent work and noted the department will continue to report progress on the strategic plan and its biennial reaccreditation process.
No formal committee vote was required for the presentation; the item was an informational briefing with a commitment to provide the operational plan to the committee and to continue periodic updates.
