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Community Connect

Morton Township Fire and Rescue has implemented software that could help you and your family during an emergency. Community Connect is a secure site that allows you to enter information such as the number of people in the home, if you have any pets, your emergency contact information, and if you have special requirements such as difficulty hearing or mobility needs. Please click the link to Community Connect and fill out your information so that the Morton Township Fire and Rescue Team can respond quickly if there is an emergency in your home.

Emergency Services

Every emergency should be reported via dialing 9-1-1

Station 1
8260 100th Ave. Canadian Lakes, MI
Non-Emergency Phone: 231-972-7211

Station 2
210 Hayes Mecosta, MI
Non-Emergency Phone: 231-972-3310

Fire Chief - Allen Sutherby
About

The Morton Township Fire Rescue Department has served the Morton Township Community since the 1940’s. The department provides fire services for the residents of Morton and Austin Township and medical services to Morton Township and portions of Austin, Colfax, Hinton, and Martiny Townships. Under automatic / mutual aid agreements we also support each township in Mecosta County for various types of incidents. Currently, the department consists of 2 stations. Station 1 in Canadian Lakes houses administrative offices, a large meeting/training room, kitchen facilities, and an office for the Mt. Pleasant Michigan State Police Post. The station is also a designated emergency shelter. The other station, Station 2 is located downtown in the Village of Mecosta.

The Morton Township Fire / Rescue Department currently utilizes the talents and abilities of 30 trained personnel. Responders vary by training with some specializing in Medical First Responder services, some trained in Fire I&II, and some cross-trained in fire and medical. All responders are paid-on-call (min of 2 hours per incident) or part-time with a limited daytime weekday schedule. New as of December 1, 2021, Chief Sutherby works for the department full-time running calls and fulfilling administrative duties.

The Township Fire Department provides fire protection services, public safety education, emergency pre-planning for local businesses, and home safety inspections. Medical First Responder services are also a major part of the department workload. They provide basic life support for patients prior to transport by Advanced Life Support agencies.

For the most up-to-date information, education, and safety alerts, follow up on Facebook!

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Staffing & Employment

The Morton Township Fire / Rescue Department is staffed on weekdays from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM by Chief Sutherby. Additionally, part time personnel work alongside Chief Sutherby three days a week.

During these same hours and extending to 24 hours daily, 365 days a year, response is provided by on-call firefighters and Medical First Responder personnel. The department currently consists of 30 personnel. Fourteen personnel are cross trained in fire and medical services, ten are specifically fire trained, five are specifically medically trained, and one is a recruit undergoing training.

The department often has openings available. Training programs are available at no cost for those interested in and qualified to certify as a firefighter or medical first responder. If you are interested in this opportunity, please email Fire Chief Allen Sutherby for an application at mtfd5404@outlook.com

Medical Services

In 2021, the department responded to 757 calls. Of these calls, 597 (79%) of them were medical or rescue calls. In 2021, the department also responded to 11 structure fires (7 in our primary area, 4 mutual aid fires), 9 brush/grass fires, 1 boat fire, 1 vehicle fire, and 3 other miscellaneous fires. Additionally, the department responded to 17 motor vehicle accidents, 22 severe weather incidents, 15 down power lines, 7 gas leaks, 2 carbon monoxide incidents, and 9 fire/carbon monoxide false alarms.

Equipment

Morton Township provides the community with fire protection and MFR services utilizing a fleet of apparatus and supporting equipment. Every effort is made to ensure we have well-maintained, NFPA compliant equipment. The equipment is housed between the department’s two stations, Station No. 1 on 100th Avenue in Canadian Lakes and Station No. 2 on E. Hayes St. in Mecosta.

Station 1 houses- NFPA 1901 Class A Engine 1, 3500 gallon Tender 1, 4wd brush/wildland focused Grass Rig 1, 95’ aerial platform Tower 1, a 10 tank breathing-air refill trailer Cascade, and mini-pumper/rescue Squad 51. During shift hours, Squad 51 is the first apparatus to respond to any call due to its multifunctional fire/rescue capacities. Station 2 houses- NFPA 1901 Class A Engine 2, 3500 gallon Tender 2, 4wd brush/wildland Grass Rig 2, and 2021 Chevrolet Suburban Rescue 2.

An annual property tax of .5 mills is dedicated to housing and equipment needs. As a result of this account, sufficient revenue has been available to maintain the vehicle fleet and provide buildings and associated facilities allowing a complete response to the wide variety of incidents we experience.

911 MECEOLA Central Dispatch

The emergency communications center that serves Morton Township also provides services covering Mecosta and Osceola counties. Operators are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to answer calls and dispatch responders based on the incident location and details.

The center is managed from the Mecosta County Services Building located at:

20701 Northland Drive
Paris, MI

Non-emergency phone:  231-796-4811

Additional Information

Home Safety Checklist

Morton Township Fire / Rescue Department has put together a home safety checklist for residents to look through to make sure the area homes are as safe as possible. 

Home Safety Checklist

Outdoor Burning & Burn Permits

To apply for a burn permit, you must contact the DNR fire division 866-922-BURN (866-922-2876) The online site provides a quick glance to see if permits are being issued. http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/burnpermits/  (what is Permissible to burn can be found here also)

Local restrictions also apply. ie: Village of Mecosta and Canadian lakes (contact your local official for questions). 


AED Training

When people are equipped with the skills to perform CPR, and know how to properly use an AED, they become “heart smart” and help increase survival rates for those experiencing cardiac arrest. You can become “heart smart” by signing up for periodic CPR / AED classes offered by the Morton Township Fire Department.  Information regarding CPR/AED or other community classes will be posted on Facebook as pertinent.


Reflective Address Signs

In an effort to limit delay in providing assistance in the case of an emergency, reflective and / or lit residential address signs should be visible from the road. These can be placed on mailboxes, posted along the road in front of homes, or on the front side of houses. If you need an address sign, contact or visit the township hall to order a reflective green sign! Made of the same tough materials as road signs, they are weather resistant and easily visible. Each sign is $20, which covers the cost of materials.


Carbon Monoxide - Understanding the Risk


What is carbon monoxide?


Carbon monoxide is a highly-toxic, odorless, and colorless gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste, or smell, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home. Even at low levels, CO causes headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. These symptoms mimic those of many other illnesses. Therefore it is important to install CO detectors in every home.


The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health, and the concentration and length of exposure. With prolonged exposure, mild symptoms become more severe and may cause serious health problems.


Where does carbon monoxide come from?

CO gas can come from several sources: gas-fired appliances, charcoal grills, wood-burning furnaces or fireplaces and motor vehicles. 


PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY FROM CO POISONING



Install at least one carbon monoxide alarm with an audible warning signal on each floor and near each sleeping area. Carbon monoxide alarms measure levels of CO over time and are designed to sound an alarm before the average healthy adult would experience symptoms. It is very possible that you may not be experiencing symptoms when you hear the alarm. This does not mean that CO is not present. 



If CO alarms go off in your residence, get everyone to leave the building, go to a safe area- outside, car, neighbors house, and call 9-1-1.


Smoke Detectors

Source: https://www.nfpa.org

Smoke alarms save lives. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out.

Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Fire alarms are good for 10 years (you can buy ones with 10 year batteries) and they need to be checked every 6 months.