Benzonia Township Fire Department

06/03/2026

The month of May was an exceptionally busy one for the Benzonia Township Fire Department.
We responded to 86 calls during the month, the highest monthly call volume in the department's history.
We sincerely appreciate the continued support of our community, which helps us serve and protect every day.
Below is a brief breakdown of the calls we responded to throughout May.

04/14/2026

Heads up, please stay aware and know that your emergency services team is working hard to mitigate this issue. In the event something further happens with this situation you will be informed.

Media Release 4/14/2026 11:50am
Re: Betsie River – Homestead Dam – Benzie County, MI

Heavy rainfall has impacted several locations in Benzie County, very similar to many other jurisdictions across Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula.

High water levels have caused Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials to activate the Homestead Dam Emergency Action Plan and start reinforcement operations to secure the Homestead Dam (Section 2 T25N, R15W) Benzonia Township, Benzie County, Michigan.

The Benzie County Emergency Operations Center is activated to support the dam reinforcement operations as we continue to expect water levels to increase and the potential for additional precipitation.

Property owners and residents in areas along the Betsie River downstream from the Homestead Dam should take precautions to protect property and prepare. If the dam structure becomes compromised, a notice of evacuation will be issued.

Please avoid the Homestead Dam viewing area and allow for service vehicles and crews to work.

All residents and property owners on any local water system should take high water precautions.

03/31/2026

****Big Bummer**** UPDATE 4/17/26

We have to reschedule this training for Tuesday May 19, 2026. 5pm-8pm

The Red Cross of Northern Michigan is very busy with active sheltering in other counties due to the current State of Emergency.

I hope we can still see you very soon!

# # #

Benzie County is hosting a Shelter Partner training at the Benzie County Government Center Saturday April 18, ,2026 9am-12pm. presented by American Red Cross.

If you ever considered ways that you could help during a disaster or local state of emergency - Benzie County is in need of facilities/locations and individuals who are willing to consider offering shelter services.

Disaster or Emergency shelters vary and can mean anything from a warming or cooling center (especially during power outages) to temporary overnight accommodations for neighbors in the case of long term disasters.

This course is open to:

• Any community member or group with interest in possibly assisting during a disaster or emergency - near or far.

• Organizational leaders that may want to consider offering a shelter location or services at their facility.

There is no cost for the training and no obligation to join any organization or commit to being a shelter partner or volunteer.

03/31/2026

While not quite as cool as being a firefighter(just kidding), but just as important, Benzie County EMS is looking to add to their team! Come join an awesome community and help those in need! Plus, you get to hang with cool firefighters too!

03/30/2026

I don't know about all of you folks out there, but I think we've waited way to long to be able to do this! Enjoy the beautiful day and stay safe.

03/19/2026

3/18/2026 3:00pm
I would like to take the time to extend my deepest appreciation to EVERYONE WHO HELPED during this most recent snow storm and those still helping as we work to clean up and recover.

I personally witnessed community members (not just paid responders) step up and help their neighbors; with rides, plowing, shoveling, tree cutting, fuel for generators, lending heat sources and simply checking in on them. There were so many examples of people doing GOOD for their neighbors that I'm sure I missed several that should be listed.

I personally witnessed paid responders go above and beyond their regular duties to help community members, working extended hours to make sure services were provided. An extra thank you to Benzonia Township Fire Department for arranging space for a warming shelter overnight on Monday and of course, all the utility linemen that were camped close-by to address our outages in the most timely response possible.

HUGE SHOUT OUT to the agency that handled the brunt of the workload of this event. Thank you Benzie County Road Commission and all of the individual staff that SHOWED UP and GOT IT DONE. If you haven't had the chance to see some of the pictures shared - maybe check out or follow the Benzie County Road Commission page. I am not overlooking the fantastic Village and City DPW workers who maintained services, checked on residents, and moved acres of snow.

I also will not leave out the US National Weather Service Ga***rd Michigan - their forecasting was not far off if you look at it from their satellite and radar view - although I'm not sure if I'm ready to hug them quite yet.

Events like these usually spark contemplation and conversation that there are always one or two more things that we can learn about personal preparedness. The Benzie County Office of Emergency Management will continually advocate for [and stress the importance of] personal preparedness by hopefully offering valuable links to tips, or simply providing notifications. If you can't find tips or specific information on the internet, please do not hesitate to reach out in other ways to ask questions.

Posts like these shared beyond our small rural border always seem to spark a variety of opinions. Everyone was impacted differently based on circumstances and location - weather is an inconsistent creature. No one should assume or question the level of impact or feelings experienced by others.

Thank you again Benzie County & beyond for helping each other in the true sense of COMMUNITY. You rock!

* Rebecca - Benzie County Emergency Management Coordinator

03/17/2026

Update: 3/17/2026 05:00 due to a lack of occupancy this warming location will be on standby. Staff will be headed to monitor other tasks. If you need warming or recharging service and cannot find an accommodating location. Reach out to the Benzie County Office of Emergency Management 231-882-0567.

00:00 An overnight warming shelter - without cots - is open at the Benzonia Township Hall 2717 Benzie Hwy. Bring your own snacks or drinks and comfort items.

M115 and US31 are currently passable - use caution and watch for drifting if you must travel.

It is a place to plug in and recharge and get out of the cold. Currently open 12am midnight March 17, 2026. Hours may be altered after reassessing need and reports from consumers energy.

* Closest shelter with cots tonight is the Little River Casino Resort 2700 Orchard Hwy. Manistee.

02/12/2026

It's always nice to come back from being out and and find that someone left us a treat showing their appreciation! Thank you, whom ever you are!

02/07/2026

FREE CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

Instructors from Benzie County EMS are offering FREE Continuing Education (CE) credits for EMS providers.

Topic

Pulmonary / Respiratory Emergencies
🕒 2 CE Credits

Dates & Locations

📍 February 16th | 7:00 PM
Benzonia Fire Department
2717 Benzie Hwy
Benzonia, MI 49616

📍 February 20th | 3:30 PM
Green Lake Fire Department
9426 10th St
Interlochen, MI 49643

Contact Information

For questions or additional details, please contact:

Matt Delzio
(231) 534-5611

Special thanks to the Benzonia Fire Department and Green Lake Fire Department for allowing us to use their facilities.

01/02/2026

Happy New Year!

Here are our totals and some stats for our run volume this year.

It was yet another record setting year, we totaled 665 calls for the year. Of those, 229 were fire related calls and 439 were medical related.

The below graphic is short by 17 calls as the last 5 days of the year we switched to the new federal government reporting system and could not integrate the two reports.