The Garden City Fire Department is dedicated to providing comprehensive all-hazard emergency services for our community, ranging from fire suppression and advanced life support ambulance service to specialized rescue and hazardous material response and the provision of fire and injury prevention programs. The department is staffed by career firefighter-paramedics who are cross-trained to provide both fire and EMS services. Garden City maintains one fire station located adjacent to the civic center. The station was constructed in 1965. Garden City is a member of the Western Wayne County Fire Department Mutual Aid Association and through it, of Health Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Inc.

Our cooperative program of automatic aid for structure fire response with Westland, Inkster and Wayne is proving highly successful, improving fireground safety in all participating communities. As a result of the program, improvements have been made in:

• Interagency Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) training and operations
• Interagency Firefighter Survival training and operations
• Firefighter Accountability (tracking) systems in all communities
• Interagency communications

The efforts of our 20 career firefighter-paramedics are augmented by, two volunteer fire chaplains and a volunteer fire photographer. Our professional firefighters comprise the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1911.

Garden City has an active emergency management program. The program, coordinated by Chief Bill Forbush, is a cooperative effort of all city departments, administration and elected officials. An Emergency Operations Center has been established on the second floor of the Police Station, and communications links are in place with other communities, county, state and federal officials for collaboration in an emergency. Garden City Emergency Management operates in close cooperation with the Wayne County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. A fully-trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is ready to assist with disaster shelters, and other support operations in a community emergency. Additionally, the Garden City Amateur Radio Club provides supplemental emergency communications through our CERT program. Parks & Recreation Staff have completed American Red Cross Shelter Management training and are prepared to operate disaster shelters at Maplewood Community Center or selected school facilities in coordination with Red Cross and other relief/response agencies.

Declaration of an emergency requiring county, state or federal resources is handled by Mayor Jim Plakas in consultation with City Manager David Harvey and applicable staff.

For more information on how you can help the community through participation in CERT, Please call (734) 793-1790.

Our Fire Prevention efforts are coordinated by Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal Michael Massey. Site and building plan reviews are handled through his office, as are the associated certificate of occupancy and other field inspections. Under Public Act 207, Deputy Chief Massey works to assure the safety of all occupancies in the community, as well as cooperating with firefighters in providing public fire safety education for school and youth groups, churches and community groups. Our highly successful FireSafe Home program offers expert home safety survey/inspections, and provides smoke detectors and installation all at no charge. The program is made possible by a 2004 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.