Leland Township Fire and Rescue

05/29/2026

Great reminder from our friends at the Michigan Fire Inspectors Society 🔥 🚒 🚑! Do not smoke around medical oxygen - the results could be fatal!

05/27/2026

Mutual Aid Appreciation!

On Tuesday, May 27th, Leland Township Fire & Rescue (LTFR) was dispatched to a medical emergency at the Whaleback Trail near the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan. In a coordinated team effort, based on the location obtained by our county 911 call takers, the patient was located and assessed. Due to the difficult access points and terrain - the decision was made to carry the patient back to the area of the trailhead - quite a distance away.

Although we had limited cell and radio coverage, we were able to call for some assistance to help us safely carry the patient,and necessary equipment, to an awaiting LTFR ambulance. The patient was carried along a narrow, wooded, and twisting trail, where after an hour and a half from the time of the 911 call, the patient was safely on their way to Munson Medical Center. They are expected to make a full recovery.

We’d like to thank our friends and neighbors for their help!

Fire & EMS Units assigned LTFR Alpha 593 (ambulance), LTFR Engine 512, LTFR Car 586 (EMS Director), and LTFR Chief 501 (Fire Chief), Suttons Bay Alpha 991, and Leelanau Township Engine 611.

Leelanau County Office of Emergency Management / 911
Leelanau County Sheriff's Office
Leland Township Professional Firefighters Local 5120
Suttons Bay - Bingham Fire & Rescue
Suttons Bay-Bingham Professional Firefighters L4827
Leelanau Township Fire Department
Leelanau Conservancy

05/21/2026

VEHICLE SALE - BIDS BEING ACCEPTED

LTFR is currently accepting sealed bids for a 2016 Ford ambulance. The E450 chassis has 99,186 miles. The patient care compartment was manufactured by Medix.

The vehicle will be available for delivery once our new ambulance arrives in June. The vehicle is well-maintained and vehicle maintenance records are available.

Minimum bid is set at $40,000. Sealed bids may be delivered to the Leland Fire Station or mailed to us at P.O. Box 578, Leland MI. 49654.

All bids are due by 5PM on June 22nd, 2026.

If you have any questions or would like to see the vehicle, please contact Captain Chase Schelling at [email protected] or Lieutenant Brandon Morse at [email protected]

05/18/2026

Please join us in congratulating Chief Dan Besson on being named Fire Chief of the Year by the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs.

Over more than 30 years of public service, Chief Besson has served as a firefighter, fire lieutenant, fire inspector, battalion chief, dispatcher, and police officer for the Van Buren Department of Public Safety and the City of Flat Rock before being named Van Buren Fire Chief in 2012.

In 2017, Chief Besson and his family moved north when he became Fire Chief in Leland Township. In addition to his full-time role as Fire Chief, Chief Besson is also an EMS Instructor-Coordinator and Fire Instructor III, dedicating countless hours to teaching and mentoring new EMS providers, firefighters, and fire officers.

We are incredibly proud of this well-deserved recognition and grateful for everything Chief Besson does each and every day. Congratulations, Chief Besson, on this incredible achievement!

05/17/2026

EMS Week 2026!

We proudly recognize our EMS providers and all EMS providers for their unwavering commitment to their communities.

Day and night, you answer the call with compassion, professionalism, and skill — providing care when our residents and visitors need it most. Your dedication, sacrifice, and teamwork do not go unnoticed.

Thank you for your service, your resilience, and the difference you make every single day.

Capt. Schelling
EMS Director

05/06/2026

Congratulations to LTFR candidates Evelyn Couturier and Josh Jackson on their graduation from the Fire I & II program at the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center! Eve and Josh are pictured below with Fire Chief Dan Besson (far left) and Captain Chase Schelling (far right) following their graduation.

05/04/2026

⚠️ HIGH DANGER TODAY

Crews throughout Leelanau County, including LTFR, are currently fighting several wildfires.

Leland Township and surrounding areas are under a Red Flag Warning due to:
💨 Strong winds (gusts up to 50 mph)
🌡️ Low humidity
🍂 Dry grass and vegetation

🚫 NO OUTDOOR BURNING
Please avoid:
• Burn barrels or brush fires
• Unattended campfires
• Parking vehicles on dry grass
• Using equipment that can create sparks

🔥 Fires can start easily and spread VERY quickly in these conditions.

🧯 If you see smoke or fire, call 911 immediately.

05/02/2026

Good Luck 🍀 to all of the candidates! LTFR is proud to have two of our own finishing up today! Way to go Eve Couturier and Josh Jackson!

Good luck to our fire class on the final practical today.

04/08/2026

Our March 2026 Report has been submitted... Let's hope April is a little nicer...

https://lelandfiredept.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/March-2026-Leland-Township-Fire-Rescue-Monthly-Report.pdf

02/16/2026

This past week, several LTFR Paramedics renewed their Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Suppport (PALS) certifications, which all Paramedics are required to renew every 2 years.

These courses were taught by Captain/EMS Director Schelling and Fire Chief Besson, who recently became certified to teach these courses.

These courses, along with all other required speciality courses and continuing education credits are
now able to be provided in-house by our training staff, eliminating the need for members to travel for classes as they did in the past. The ability to provide these training opportunities help us meet our
mission of being caring, confident, competent, and
compassionate providers.