Photo courtesy of Rock River Township Fire Department
By Chief Jim Seppanen
Rock River Township Fire Department
The Rock River Township Fire Department is a volunteer department serving the residents of Rock River Township and surrounding areas through mutual aid partnerships across Alger County. With 21 firefighters currently on the roster, the department responds to an average of 25 to 30 calls each year, ranging from grass fires and structure fires to vehicle accidents, extrications and specialized rescue operations.
In a rural township where distance, weather and limited infrastructure shape daily life, the fire department is often the first — and only — line of response when something goes wrong.
I am in my 33rd year as fire chief and my 41st year with this department. When people ask why I started, I tell them it is simple: What better way is there to help your community than to volunteer?
Volunteer fire service depends on people willing to step up. Right now, we are fortunate to have 21 members. But like many rural areas, we are aging. We do not have a large number of young families moving in, and recruitment remains one of the biggest long-term challenges facing departments like ours.
When the pager goes off, we respond from wherever we are — home, work or with family. Many of our firefighters keep their gear in bags, some at home and some at the hall. In most cases, we dress at the scene rather than at the station. In a rural area, minutes matter. If a call is 9 miles away toward Sundell or Eben, we cannot afford to lose time.
Because most of our township does not have hydrants, we bring our own water. That means pumpers, tankers and coordinated tanker shuttles. In winter, that becomes more complicated. Snowbanks can reach 5 feet high. Side roads drift in. Our tankers often lead because they have higher ground clearance than pumpers. There are times during blizzard conditions when response becomes a serious concern. That is the reality of serving in the Upper Peninsula.
Most of our calls are smaller incidents — grass fires, minor structure fires and vehicle accidents. We handle auto extrication on this end of the county and routinely provide and receive mutual aid with Mathias Township and Au Train. In rural fire service, manpower is everything.
What many residents may not realize is the range of rescue work we do beyond firefighting. We are equipped for ice rescue, rope rescue and water rescue. We respond to incidents at the Eben ice caves several times a year. We have searched for lost hikers after dark and located overdue fishermen in the woods. In a small township, there is no one else to call. The fire department becomes the rescue service.
Training takes place twice a month. In winter, we focus on equipment checks, first aid, CPR and defibrillator updates. My daughter, Lindsey, who is a paramedic in the department, leads much of our medical training. In summer, we pump water, practice tanker shuttles and run hands-on drills so that when the call comes, nobody is rusty.
Equipment is one of our biggest challenges. Everything in the fire service is tested and rated for life safety, and that makes it expensive. A turnout coat costs about $1,200. Pants cost about $800. Gloves that look like regular work gloves cost $100 a pair. Turnout gear now carries a 15-year lifespan under national standards, so replacements must be planned years in advance. It took us about four years to fully update our turnout gear because we could only afford to purchase so many sets each year.
Whenever possible, we apply for grants. If there is grant funding available, we try for it. One example is our air supply system for filling our SCBAs. That was a $30,000 purchase, and through a grant we only had to pay 5% of the total cost. Grants help, but they do not cover everything. Most of our equipment comes out of the township’s general fund fire budget, so careful planning is always required.
Our trucks are funded through a one-mill renewal dedicated to apparatus replacement. When one truck is paid off, we renew the millage to replace the next one once it reaches 25 years of service. Our first millage-funded truck in 1999 cost $140,000. The replacement ordered in 2022 cost $353,000 and required an eight-year repayment period. Because the community already supports us through that millage, we do not run additional fundraisers.
Looking ahead, we are planning for eventual replacement of our self-contained breathing apparatuses. Like everything else, they have a lifespan. There is always something on the horizon, and the only way to manage the cost is to plan for it well in advance.
If there is one thing I wish residents understood, it is the importance of preparation. Keep driveways accessible, especially in winter. Understand that we typically operate from the road and pull hose in. Small details can make a difference when time matters.
I tell our firefighters that family comes first. If their child has a school event on meeting night, that is where they should be. But when the pager goes off, they show up. They are dedicated, and I am proud of the team we have.
In Rock River Township, when something happens, this is the group that responds.