Government and Services > City Services, Departments, Communications > Fire Department
Belding Fire Department
On Watch 24/7, Ready to Serve You
Frequently Asked Questions
The Fire Department is located behind Belding City Hall, at 120 S. Pleasant Street, Belding, MI 48809.
Emergency vehicle size, including firetrucks and ambulances, have increased greatly over the years. If any of your structures (residence, garage, barn, etc.) are over 80 feet from the center of the roadway, we will need to pull in your driveway to provide protection.
Your driveway surface should be 12 feet wide and capable of handling a 70,000 pound vehicle. It should be cleared of limbs and other obstructions to an additional 4 feet wide beyond the driveway itself, on both sides (20 feet total).
The drive should be 14 feet clear in height. Any turns shall have a radius of 60 feet minimum, to allow our large trucks to make the corners. Ice, snow, wind and other factors will reduce this clearance.
The responsibility of maintaining a clear drive lies with the owner or tenant. Gates and other obstructions preventing entrance should be left open, otherwise force will be used to enter at the expense of the property owner.
Failure to provide the required clearances may result in delayed protection.
If you have any questions, please phone (616) 794-1900 extension 212.
City of Belding ordinance requires visible house address numbers at or near the front entrance of all residences and businesses within the city limits. Visible street numbers are critical to emergency service personnel when trying to locate the origin of an emergency call.
Address numbers shall be:
- Located directly adjacent to the front door (on the street that coincides with your address, if on a corner)
- Must be of a contrasting color to the background.
- Must be in number form (no lettering).
- A minimum of 4 inches tall.
- And a minimum of one-half inch wide line strokes .
- They must be clearly visible from your entire road frontage, clear of any shrubs or trees.
If your residence is more than 80 feet from the center of the road to the front of your house or you have vegetation blocking your house, you must locate the address numbers next to your
driveway just off the roadway if your drive is on your address side.
If your drive is off of a side street (Rd), your numbers must be clearly marked next to the roadway on your address side. They need to have numbers on both sides of the sign that are visible from the roadway. Mail boxes do not work since they may be on the wrong side of the road and mounted in multiple bundles.
Please Dial 911.
The Fire Code is designed to establish minimum requirements for providing a reasonable level of life safety and property protection from the hazards of fire, explosion or dangerous conditions. This code establishes minimum requirements and safeguards for:
- All Fire Safety and Fire Prevention
- New and Existing Structures
- Residential, Commercial and Industrial Properties
- Fire Protection Systems
- Storage of Hazardous Materials
For more information, call Fire Chief Tim Lubitz, 616-794-1900, Ext. 2
Develop a plan with your family about what to do in case of a fire and practice it. Plan two ways out of every room. Have a prearranged meeting place outside for everyone to gather. Once you are out, stay out! Call the fire department from outside of the house or from neighbors.
City ordinance requires residents who wish to have recreational bonfires to first obtain a permit from the Fire Department. Please contact the Fire Department at 794-1900 ext. 212 to schedule a bonfire pit inspection. Brush fires or the burning of yard wastes is prohibited within the city.
Open burning in the Township is regulated by State of Michigan rules. A Department of Natural Resources Burning Permit must be obtained from the Fire Department by anyone who is going to burn brush, grass or leaves. The burning of construction materials or tires is strictly prohibited. For further information call 794-1900 ext 212.
The City of Belding Fire Department will provide fire prevention programs or fire station tours to groups of any age. Call to set an appointment.
Caring, Competent Professionals
The Belding Fire Department provides 24-hour service. Full time firefighters each work a 24-hour shift at the fire station. On-call firefighters may respond from their place of employment or from their home. Response times within the City limits for the first fire apparatus average less than three minutes.
The Belding Fire Department is responsible for fire and rescue services in the City of Belding, Otisco Township, and the northern portion of Keene Township.
The City of Belding was re-evaluated by the Insurance Services Organization in September 2021. On January 1, 2022, the ISO PPC rating for the City of Belding was Class 4.
The Belding Fire Department provides Medical First Responder services to our protection area. The on-duty firefighters respond in addition to an ambulance on all pre-determined high priority medical emergencies.
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Technical Rescue Services
The Belding Fire Department provides technical rescue services, such as:
- Water/ice rescue
- Confined space rescue
- Low-angle rope rescue
- Vehicle/machinery extrication
- Hazardous materials operations
- Trench rescue operations

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The Belding Fire Department has two squads and 20 firefighters, many with more than 10 years of service.
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The City of Belding takes pride in its professional, well-equipped Fire Department.
Belding Fire Department Mission
The mission of the Belding Fire Department is to provide the highest quality emergency and non-emergency services to protect the safety and property of people throughout our community from the effects of man-made and natural hazards through the dedicated efforts of our well-trained and equipped team of firefighters and support personnel.
Severe Weather
The City's weather warning sirens will be tested on the 1st Saturday of every month at 1:00 P.M. starting in April and continuing throughout the severe weather season.
The National Weather Service will issue a tornado watch when conditions are right for the formation of a tornado. This is the time to begin preparations. The weather siren will be sounded when a tornado warning has been issued for our area. A tornado warning means a tornado has been sited and that persons should immediately take cover.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms
The Belding Fire Department will respond to carbon monoxide detector activations.
Smoke Detectors
Most fire deaths occur at home. Most occur in homes without a working smoke detector.
Working smoke detectors save lives. Please check smoke detectors regularly and change the batteries at least twice yearly.
City of Belding ordinance requires working smoke detectors in all existing residential occupancies. Residential occupancies include all one and two-family dwellings and apartment houses. Installation information may be obtained by contacting the Fire Department.