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WHAT IS PUBLIC SAFETY?
The Ionia Department of Public Safety performs three
functions, POLICE PROTECTION,
FIRE PROTECTION, and
MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDING.
Although the Department provides police services to just the City of Ionia, it
expands its fire protection area to two townships (Ionia & Easton). There are 5
administrators, 2 clerical, 14 full-time Public Safety Officers (P.S.O.’s), 3
part-time PSO's, 14 fire
fighters (paid on-call) and a full-time fleet manager / mechanic. All P.S.O’s are cross-trained
for both police and fire duties, and all but the Director and Deputy Director
are trained as medical first responders. Nearly all 14 firefighters are
trained as medical first responders as well. The department has a minimum
staffing level requirement of 2 P.S.O.’s; however, it is common to have at
least three PSO's and a Sergeant on duty. The P.S.O. will dress for a shift as a police officer and
work in that capacity until a fire or medical call is dispatched. The
Department also sometimes schedules paid on-call firefighters on weekends to
assist with fire and medical related calls.
POLICE PROTECTION
 
The primary role of a P.S.O. is to provide police
protection. In 2005 the department responded to 4138 police related calls
for service. The department enforces criminal codes, local ordinances, and the
Michigan motor vehicle codes. The department also provides residential checks
for vacationers.
FIRE PROTECTION
In 2005 the department responded to 792 fire, rescue or
medical related calls for service. 438 of those responses were in the City of
Ionia, 197 were in Ionia Township, 147 were in Easton Township and 10 were mutual aid type
responses to other neighboring fire departments. The department has 5 engines,
two squads, and one 4x4 A.T.V.
In the event of a fire call requiring additional personnel,
Ionia County Central Dispatch will tone out the department via a paging system for all
off duty employees to respond. The P.S.O.’s on duty are responsible for going
to the scene, accessing the situation, and bringing the first engine. Any
initial fire attack may be performed from the outside until enough additional personnel
arrive to affect an interior attack.
MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDING
In 2002, the department became licensed as a Medical First
Responding Agency and began responding to medical emergencies in the City of Ionia and
in Ionia and
Easton Townships. For the year of 2005, the department responded to a total of
529 medical emergencies. 313 of those medical emergencies were in the City
of Ionia, 128 were in Ionia Township and
88 were in Easton Township. Each front line patrol car is equipped with a
medical bag with oxygen and an Automated External Defibrillator for quick
response. The department also has equipped two response vehicles (Rescue 5 &
Squad 4) with all of the medical equipment required by the State of Michigan.
The department responds to all priority 1 and 2 calls and may respond on
priority 3 calls on an as needed basis. The priority chart is as follows:
Priority 1 –
Life threatening – emergency
Priority 2 –
Non-life threatening – emergency
Priority 3 -
Non-life threatening – non-emergency
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