City of Saginaw Fire Department

09/11/2026

09/07/2026

Happy Labor day.
Observed on the first Monday of September, Labor Day is a U.S. federal holiday that honors the grit, achievements, and resilience of American workers. It’s a nod to the people whose hands, hearts, and hustle helped shape the nation.
The roots of Labor Day stretch back to the late 1800s, born from the labor movement—a time when workers stood up for fair pay, safer conditions, and reasonable hours. This holiday was created to celebrate the dignity of work and the vital role workers play in building a thriving society.

Please have a safe and enjoyable day!

09/04/2026

For the month of AUGUST

09/03/2026

Your 2026-2027 Saginaw County High School Fire Academy.

These students have begun The Michigan State Firefighter 1&2 Fire Academy.

Over the coming months, these students will follow a strict training curriculum that will prepare them for their state exams at the end of the school year. Upon completion of the Fire Academy, they will be certified Michigan Firefighters and able to immediately impact their communities and apply directly for the workforce as full time firefighters.

The Michigan Firefighter 1 & 2 Academy, governed by the Michigan Fire Fighters Training Council (MFFTC) and based on NFPA standards, combines rigorous classroom knowledge with intense, hands-on physical skills.
Cadets cover core academic concepts and practical field exercises:
Essential Academic Knowledge
* Fire Behavior & Science: Understanding the fire tetrahedron, thermal layering, rollover, flashover, backdraft, and how synthetic building materials burn.
* Building Construction: Recognizing structural types (Type I–V), predicting collapse mechanisms, and evaluating structural integrity under heavy fire loads.
* Hazardous Materials Operations: Identifying chemical placards, reading safety data sheets (SDS), executing mass decontamination, and implementing defensive spill control measures.
* Fire Prevention & Public Education: Performing basic fire safety inspections, pre-incident planning, and delivering community risk-reduction strategies.
* Incident Command System (ICS): Applying FEMA ICS-100 and NIMS 700 standards for scene management, accountability, and multi-agency coordination.
* Fire Origin & Cause Determination: Identifying point-of-origin indicators, securing potential arson scenes, and preserving critical evidence.
Practical Tactical Skills
* Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) & PPE: Rapid donning procedures (under 60 seconds), air management, emergency bypass protocols, and Mayday operations.
* Search & Rescue: Primary and secondary search tactics, zero-visibility navigation, thermal imaging camera (TIC) operations, and firefighter extraction techniques (RIT/RIC).
* Hose Line Handling & Fire Streams: Deploying crosslays and supply lines, nozzle control, calculated advance maneuvers, and performing interior attack techniques.
* Ventilation Tactics: Executing horizontal, vertical, and positive-pressure mechanical ventilation to clear heat, smoke, and toxic gases.
* Forcible Entry & Search Tools: Operating rotary saws, irons (Halligan and flat-head axe), hydraulic tools, and cutting torches to bypass doors, gates, and security barriers.
* Ground Ladders: Carrying, raising, throwing, and tying off various extension and roof ladders solo and in teams.
* Vehicle Extrication: Stabilizing motor vehicles, utilizing hydraulic rescue tools ("Jaws of Life"), cutting structural pillars, and performing glass management.
* Rope Rescue & Knots: Tying essential operational knots (figure-eights, bowlines, clove hitches) and constructing basic mechanical advantage hauling systems.

Upon successful completion of classroom exams and practical skill stations, cadets are eligible to sit for the MFFTC state certification exam to officially earn their Firefighter I and II certifications.

They will also receive 12 college credits from Delta College Delta College Fire Science Technology

This year, the following schools have enrolled Fire Academy students.

Saginaw Career Complex
BAISD Career Center
Saginaw United High School
Hemlock High School
John Glenn High School
Bay City Western High School

Here are our students:

08/29/2026

The city is hiring the following positions:

- Biologist - Water Treatment Plant
- City Engineer
- Code Enforcement Inspector
- Electrical Maintenance Foreman
- Filtration Plant Maintenance II & iii
- Fleet Maintenance Technician
- Laborer I
- Office Assistant
- Packer Operator
- Treasury Clerk
- Skilled Clerical
- Public Service Worker

To apply, head to https://bit.ly/4yKZdaW.

08/28/2026

Today, we had the incredible honor of welcoming the Walker family to our station. They didn’t come because they needed assistance, had an emergency, or had any particular reason other than one simple and meaningful purpose—to say thank you to their fire department.

Their generosity and thoughtfulness left a lasting impression on all of us.

The Walker family presented us with a beautiful plaque that will soon have a permanent place on our station walls, serving as a reminder of the connection between our department and the community we are privileged to serve. They also gifted us several wonderful books, written and published by the Walker family themselves—gifts that we will proudly share and enjoy for years to come.

Of course, one of the highlights of the visit was giving little Miss Kamora her very own tour of the station. Seeing the excitement and curiosity in her eyes was a reminder of why what we do matters so much.

But perhaps the most meaningful gift of all came in the form of a letter from Robert Walker. His words were sincere, thoughtful, and deeply touching. While a plaque can hang on a wall and a book can sit on a shelf, words of genuine appreciation have a way of staying with you.

We can’t speak for every fire department across the country, but we are pretty confident that one thing remains constant among those who choose this profession: we live to serve.

We serve the people who live here, work here, eat here, sleep here, visit here, build their lives here, and raise their children here. We are fortunate enough to be welcomed into people’s lives during some of their most difficult moments—and equally fortunate when they take the time to remind us that our service is seen and appreciated.

The Walker family reminded us of that today.

You can see more of their published works at
https://www.instagram.com/ambitiouspublishing?utm_source=qr

08/27/2026

"My name is Madison Gonzales and I am a Station One engineer chauffeur for the City of Saginaw Fire Department. I drive the fire truck here on C shift. I was a firefighter for two years before I became a driver, and I've been a driver for about a year and a half now.

Driving the truck is literally the best thing in the world. My job is to make sure that my crew gets there safely, and that everyone else on the road is safe along the way. A good chauffeur is somebody who can get somewhere fast, but make sure everybody else is safe. You can drive fast, but you better know what the best route is and where your red lights are. You better know where your intersections are. The responsibility of driving gives me purpose. At a scene, I’m manning the water pump. It’s one of the most important jobs because if that pump stops working or you have a malfunction, well, you got guys 30 or 40 feet inside of a house that's got flames rolling out of the roof.

I grew up in the City of Saginaw. This is the only department I would have worked for. I didn't apply to Flint. I didn't apply to Detroit. I didn't apply to any other career department besides the City of Saginaw. I love the city of Saginaw."

—Madison Gonzales, Station One Engineer/Chauffeur, City of Saginaw Fire Department

08/25/2026

"Before the City of Saginaw Fire Department, I was a school teacher. I taught math and science. I actually joined the paid-on-call department in my hometown to give back to the community, and by the second day of my fire academy, I fell in love with firefighting. The day I graduated, I was looking for jobs, and by the end of the year, I began working for the City of Saginaw.

Being an athlete growing up, there’s an athletic element to firefighting that I connected with. But I've always been hands-on with trying to help people and get things done, and becoming a firefighter afforded me the opportunity to do that. I have a direct effect on other people, and was able to see direct results of my actions. I try to bring my best, both for myself and for my team.

Outside of work, I'm a husband and father. I've got two kids and my wife at home, so I try to spend as much time with them outside of the department as I can. We camp. We work out. We do a lot of running. Time is always the most valuable commodity, and spending time is a big part of being a dad. It's not about what you say—it’s about what you do. But just like being a firefighter, it’s a constant process of trying to improve and be better tomorrow."

—Colin Horgan, City of Saginaw Fire Department

08/22/2026