Part V - Government, a supplement to the Big Rapids Pioneer Newspaper. Used with permission.

By Michael Taylor, Senior Staff Writer



"You know they will be there when you call them." This catch-phrase, used as partof the 2001 millage proposal campaign which resulted in construction of the new Department of Public Safety Building wasn't always true.

It's hard to imagine Big Rapids without its police and fire departments, but there ws a time when the city had neither.

The Big Rapids City directory for 1876-77 shows a Big Rapids Police Department consisting iof a Chief of Police - George W. Jones ... and five officers: Henry W. Perry, Thomas Shaw, Jr., E.G. Griffith. Sanford Lynch and Arnold L. Brooks.

In earlier days, old documents oint to the use of a city marshall to protect the growing village.

More recent police chiefs include:

Current director of public safety Kevin Courtney (1993-present)

Acting director Lynn Cook (1992-1993)

Director of public safety Jerome Mattiolli (1989-1992)

Police chief Glen (Pat) Alber (1974-1989)

Police chief (Max Harroun).

Currently, director of public safety, Kevin Courtney oversees the operations of both the fire and police departments. At one time, the two were managed as separate entities.

From 1972 through 1990 Ralph Wallace served as fire chief. Prior to Wallace, the position was held by Ray Kirvan (1956-1972). Before that Tom Freeland was fire chief (1953-1956).

As both the police and fire departments have evolved over the years, so has their equipment and facilities Both departments have grown right alon with the city's population.

The most recent addition happened with the past few years, the construction of a new public safety building.

The proposal for its construction went before the voters in May of 2001 and included a $5 million dollar price tag. This equated to a two mill levy ($2 for each $1,000 taxable value.

At the time proponents of the new building cited several resaons for passing the bond proposition. Some of these included a lack of privacy for victims reporting a crime, lack of space for fire equipment, inadequate space and handicap inaccessibility.

One informational brochure released about this time states: "During major emergencies such as severe storms it is necessary to establish a command post in the station.

"Currently, the fire station kitchen is used, however, there is no way to limit access, there are no jacks for additional phone lines, and no way to limit noise.

"This makes operations very difficult in situations that present serious challenges to citizens' safety, such as the straight line and micro burst windstorms that hit Big Rapids in 1998 and the tornado that struck in 1999.

The new facility, which was approved by voters, is about 30,000 square feet and was built on the site of the Old Wolverine Factory on Michigan Avenue. The location was also the site of Big Rapids Iron Works in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The new facility hiuses all police and fire services and according to administrators, has eliminated the problems of the old facility, part of the city hall building in 1922.

In addition to serving as a police and fire station, the new facility also is used for seminars and classroom functions.

When the building was proposed, proponents wrote: "This is a building that will answer the public safety needs of the citizens of Big Rapids, for the next 30 years, will be a building our community can be proud of, will take a deteriorating industrial site and make it an attractive anchor in our downtown, and will keep city hall and all of its offices in their current location."

As Big Rapids moves into the 21st century, the future of public safety appears to be moving right along with it.





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