Coldsprings-Excelsior
Fire and Rescue Department

Kalkaska County uses the enhanced 911 system Dial 911 for all emergencies

Along with the first fire chief George Alden, Clarence Long, Tom Gruse, Bill Garrock, Kenny Brown, Lynn Eastman, Fred Zanger, Harvey Bozzie,  and Tom Bell , some others involved were Al Bozzie, , Cliff Boothman, Jim Morrane, Reburta Alden, George Alden JR., Leo Baerle, Kenny Brown, Jeanie Nooney, Earl Nicholes, John Noonen and Fran Garrock. They decided to round up some very basic equipment and build a two stall station added onto the CETA hall (Coldsprings Excelsior Taxpayers Association). The CETA hall and the group of families all through in money into the pot and started to get to work.  When the department was first started they were self dispatched and was not uncommon for the main Kalkaska department in town to be dispatched to a fire and they would drive by our department on the way to a fire without us being called.  Some time in 1971 the dispatch system was set.  The sheriff department would place a telephone call to one of the officers and as the firefighters left for the call all of the wife’s would get on the phone and call the other firefighters to get them rolling.  In 1972 the REDBOX (a donation from the main Kalkaska department) was started to be used.  The wife calling system was still used for a while as only one then two then three of these red boxes were available, as time went on and money started to be raised eventually all of the members had these boxes.  But they only worked when the members were at home so someone in the family always had to sit by the radio.  It was not uncommon for the members to have to go to the gas station and use there own money out of pocket to refuel and maintain the trucks.Some time in the late 1970’s the department was taken over by the two townships (Coldsprings and Excelsior) to form the now existing department.In 1982 Rescue/BLS (basic life support) Ambulance was added to the station and started training EMT’s.  In the late 70's  early 80’s the department added to more stalls two the station.  In the early 1980's the department started using low band pagers to dispatch personnel, In 1984 Jaws and Air bag rescue tools were added to the department, In 1990 the new station was built.  To date the department has grown into one of the larger departments in the county along with the six other fire and rescue departments within the county, the DNR, City Police, County Sheriffs, State Police, And located at the Kalkaska memorial health center Advance life support ambulance and two other basic life support within the county.  New and existing station built in 1992 by Morton Buildings

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