The Cedar Springs Fire Department is having a spaghetti dinner at Big Boy on Wednesday, April 10, to raise money to help restore its antique Model A fire engine. The 1929 engine is used for special events such as parades and community events, usually with the Keystone Kops at the helm.

Dinner tickets are $10 for adults, and $6 for children, and are available at Big Boy or from any Cedar Springs Firefighter. You can also call the station at 696-1221 and leave a message.

Fire Chief Marty Fraser and firefighter Brian Jenkins with the new saw.

The Cedar Springs Fire Department recently used money donated from former Fire Chief Bob Hunter’s memorial fund and a donation check from McDonald’s to purchase a special saw for emergency situations.

According to current Fire Chief Marty Fraser, the roof vent saw is a specialized saw that will cut through both wood and metal.

They were able to get both the new saw, and 300 spare batteries, for firefighter pagers, for $1,650.

Deputy Fire Chief Marty Frasier has been chosen as the new Fire Chief for the Cedar Springs Fire Department. Photo by Sarah MacKinnon, www.smackphoto.net.

By Judy Reed

The City of Cedar Springs announced Wednesday that they have selected Deputy Fire Chief Marty Frasier to be the new Fire Chief for the Cedar Springs Fire Department.

“We are very excited about this decision and are confident the community will be very pleased with the direction of the Cedar Springs Fire Department,” said a statement from the city.

Police Chief Roger Parent has been serving as interim Fire Chief for the last year, with Frasier serving as Deputy Chief. Frasier is a 35-year veteran of the department and has served in various roles. He has been a first responder since 1990.

The city held public interviews for the position on Monday. Other applicants included Rockford firefighter John Vandermey, who is also a firefighter instructor and certified fire investigator; and Courtland Twp. firefighter Jerry Wineland, who also has been a wild land firefighter for the DNR and is a reserve police officer for the city of Cedar Springs.

Frasier will be sworn in as the new Chief at the Cedar Springs City Council meeting on April 12. The public is invited to attend. He will begin his duties as Fire Chief the following day.

We’re counting down, and the Post annual community Easter egg hunt is only 16 days away! Plan now to attend the event, to be held Saturday, April 23, at 1:00 p.m. at Red Hawk Elementary, on the Cedar Springs Public Schools campus. It will feature hunts for four different ages, real colored eggs, candy, coins and great prizes. The Cedar Springs Fire Department, Keystone Kops, Red Flannel Queen and Court, Post staff, and of course, the Easter Bunny, will all be on hand to help with the festivities! Call us at 696-3655 with questions.

By Judy Reed

Six area fire departments got a chance to sharpen their firefighting skills Sunday when the Cedar Springs Fire Department hosted a controlled burn at an old house on Pine Street.

The house, located west of the Wesco Station, was donated by the Verduin family for the practice burn. Cedar Springs Fire Chief Jerry Gross said that one of the owners, Todd VerDuin, a Cedar Springs graduate, is a firefighter in Ionia. “He’s well aware of the help that the practice burn is to local fire departments,” said Gross.

Gross said the 37 firefighters from Cedar Springs, Solon, Sand Lake, Courtland, Algoma, and Alpine participated in the burn of the two-story house and several outbuildings. He noted that one of the things they do inside is note the structural weaknesses of a dwelling and how it changes during a fire. He said that this particular home was an older home, without any fire stops in the walls. “The walls were wide open, like an open shell where the fire runs right through the walls,” he explained. “So it went up pretty quickly.”

They started the burn early Sunday morning about 7:45 a.m. and cleared the scene about 2:30 p.m. “I think it went well,” remarked Gross. “It gave us practice and gave the opportunity for some council members and city employees to see first hand what we do.”

Photos by L. VanderLaan