Public Safety

Grand Rapids Township is committed to providing the finest Public Safety Services available to protect and serve our residents, as well as those that visit and work here. It is the first obligation and responsibility of local government.

Police Services are provided to townships by county government per Michigan constitutional authority. The twenty-one townships in Kent County vary in size and demand for policing services with most of the larger suburban communities contracting for additional road patrol and community police officers from the Kent County Sheriff’s Department.

Grand Rapids Township along with Ada and Cascade Townships have a joint agreement for enhanced services, including additional neighborhood patrols and Community Policing officers. They deter crime through educational offerings, long-term problem solving, and responding to calls as needed in all jurisdictions. The East Precinct was established in 2002 and has a proven record of meeting and exceeding our policing needs in a fiscally responsible manner.

Fire Services are provided by the Grand Rapids Township Fire Department with 24/7 full-time staffing stationed at the Township Hall Station and supported by paid-on-call personnel. A central location of front-line vehicles and equipment provides the most effective and efficient response. The Department responds to fire and motor vehicle accidents, along with service calls for fire detector and CO2 alarms, downed power lines, and odor investigations. The Department is also responsible for commercial building inspections and staff education and training.

Emergency Medical Services have been provided by Rockford Ambulance since 2020. Grand Rapids Township has contracted medical first response and Advanced Life Support Ambulance vehicles staffed by a paramedic and medical technician located at Fulton Street Station 24/7 and at the 3 Mile Road Station 12/7. The township is dispatched to over 2,300 calls for service each year with the majority originating south of Leonard Street where senior housing, medical services, and retailers are located along Fulton Street, Cascade Road, and East Paris. Calls for service are increasing north of Leonard Street with the Corewell facility expansion and new multi-family housing developments. The township will continue to adjust to compensate for growth.