Fire & RESCUE
In 1990, Crystal Lake Township voted to create a special fire district millage. This, in essence, allows the Township Board to regulate fire millage funds as it sees fit, without having to go to the electorate every time for an approval. Accordingly, there is a current assessment, which appears on your winter property tax statement of 0.6500 mils (or $0.65 for every $1000 of your property's taxable value). This raises the annual monies needed for the township's fire protection and first responders. This millage appears on your winter tax bill which is mailed out on or around December 1st every year. We share fire-fighting resources with several other governments. Instead of financing and maintaining its own, Crystal Lake Township is served contractually by the City of Frankfort Fire and Rescue, alternately referred to as Fire and First Responders. We are fortunate because sharing the cost and energy --versus hosting one's own fire department-- saves on both the township's administrative and monetary resources. Allowing us to just pay for our fair share of maintaining Frankfort's department makes good fiscal and bureaucratic sense.
Want to see fire department budgets, the list of fire runs and more? Click buttons below for the most current contracts with Frankfort.
DNR REMINDER: BURNING OUTDOORS? GET A BURN PERMIT Township residents wishing to burn anything --from fall leaves to junk-- a burn permit may be required. For the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, which includes Crystal Lake Township, residents can visit Michigan.gov/BurnPermit or call (866) 922-BURN to find out whether burning is currently allowed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). For responsible burning information, contact (616) 260-8406. |
MEET OUR FIRST FULL-TIME FIRE CHIEF
In April 2022, Mike Cederholm was chosen to be the first full-time fire chief for the Frankfort Fire Department (which serves Crystal Lake Township and other communities, as well) by the Frankfort City Council. Josh Mills, superintendent for the city of Frankfort, reported that Cederholm's salary will be around $55,000 plus health insurance and pension benefits. Cederholm has worked full time in the transportation industry, and raised a family. In addition, Cederholm began working in fire service in August 1993. He is the captain and training officer for the Frankfort and Arcadia fire departments. He has medical first responder training, as well as level one and two firefighter training. He is trained up to level three in fire officer and has training as fire chief and on instructing other firefighters. He is an instructor for the National Incident Management System and has completed Michigan company officer one and two. He attended numerous technical training sessions and National Fire Academy classes pertaining to the fire service and its administration. Cederholm was formerly the vice president and course manager for the Manistee County Firefighters' Association for over 19 years and has been a State of Michigan Bureau of Fire Services training coordinator since 2014. During his 29 years in the fire service, Cederholm has taught well over 2,000 firefighter, fire instructor and fire officer students eager to pursue their passion. As a state training coordinator, he has administered state exams to many more potential firefighters, fire instructors and fire officers across a seven-county region. 
WILDFIRE EVACUATION
CHECK LIST Click here for a checklist citizens can use to be prepared for and executing an evacuation in the case of wildfire. |
