Mecosta Township Fire & Rescue

08/24/2026

🚌 SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION! 🎒

Today is the first day of school for many of our local students, which means school buses are back on the roads and kids are once again waiting at bus stops throughout our community.

As everyone settles back into the school-year routine, please remember to:

🛑 STOP FOR SCHOOL BUSES when the red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended. Never attempt to pass a stopped school bus.

👀 WATCH FOR CHILDREN near bus stops, intersections, driveways, and along the roadway. Kids can be excited, distracted, and sometimes unpredictable—especially during the first few days back.

🚗 SLOW DOWN AND LEAVE EXTRA TIME. Expect more traffic and more frequent stops during the morning and afternoon bus routes.

📵 PUT THE PHONE DOWN. A few seconds of distraction behind the wheel can have lifelong consequences.

🚌 GIVE BUSES SOME ROOM. Expect frequent stops and allow additional following distance.

Whether you're heading to work, taking the kids to school, or just traveling through the area, please be patient and pay attention.

A school bus stopping ahead may cost you a minute or two. A child's safety is worth the wait.

From all of us at Mecosta Township Fire & Rescue, we wish our students, teachers, school staff, and bus drivers a safe and successful school year! 🚒📚

08/18/2026

The members of Mecosta Township Fire & Rescue extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Firefighter Dominic Richmond, as well as our brothers and sisters of the Chippewa-Martiny and Morton Township Fire Departments, following his tragic passing.

Dominic was more than simply a firefighter from a neighboring department. Through joint trainings and mutual aid responses, several of our members had the opportunity to train, work, and serve alongside him. For some of our members, that relationship extended well beyond the fire service, making this loss especially difficult.

The fire service has always been more than individual departments; it is a family built through shared service, sacrifice, and brotherhood. When one of our departments experiences a loss, that loss is felt far beyond the walls of their own station. This week, our hearts are especially heavy for Dominic's family, friends, fellow firefighters, and the Officers and members of both departments as they navigate an unimaginable loss.

Please keep all those who knew and loved Dominic in your thoughts and prayers in the difficult days ahead.

Read the obituary of Dominic "Dom" Michael Richmond from Remus, MI. Leave your condolences and send flowers to the family to show you care.

08/15/2026

Congratulations to Breezy Films on going undefeated on the day and winning our 2nd Annual First Responders' Softball Tournament.

08/15/2026

We are down to the championship match. Come on down to Buffalo Park and watch!

08/15/2026

The tournament is underway!! Stop by and check it out at Buffalo Park. Food is ready from the Bone Doc's food truck. Our Fill the Boot fundraiser for Pork for a Purpose is set up between the fields under the tent.

08/14/2026

🚒💦 TRAINING, TEAMWORK & COMMUNITY!

We had a great turnout Wednesday evening for our annual training at Brower Park!

This training gives our members an opportunity to utilize the Muskegon River as a water source while practicing drafting, pump operations, relay pumping, and hose line operations in a controlled environment. Just as importantly, it gives us an opportunity to train alongside our neighboring departments and spend some time with the community we serve.

A big THANK YOU to Morley Area Fire and Rescue for joining us for the evening and to everyone who came down to watch, check out the trucks and equipment, and try their hand at operating a fire hose! We especially enjoyed seeing how many kids came down and got involved.

We'd also like to thank The Pioneer and Dylan Schwartz for coming out, spending the evening with us, and highlighting both the training and the community side of what we do.

Check out the article and photos below for a look at Wednesday night's training! 👇

https://www.bigrapidsnews.com/news/article/mecosta-township-firefighters-train-brower-park-22386773.php?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6a7f57b83940c900018911cb&utm_campaign=trueanthem%2B4017&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawTsTjBwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWFielAydUVoTHB6eEJyRFJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEel_z1S9eNYxuFE_y0HN9AGfD1SEQ_NEA3waujrlFCHXIR5MX91WD4BPa3fuA_aem_o8_JZW2v3jkpDIg33iIDgg

Fire training meets family fun
Click the link in the comments 👇️

08/14/2026

🚒 THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS! 🚒

Tomorrow is the big day, and events like this don't happen without the support of our local businesses and community members. We want to take a moment to recognize and thank this year's sponsors for stepping up and supporting us!

🏆 PLATINUM SPONSORS
• O'Neil Farms — sponsoring in remembrance of former Mecosta Township Firefighter Tom O'Neil
• Kuzins Equipment
• Car Center
• River Ridge RV Resort and Marina
• Twisted Trees
• Corner Cafe

🥇 GOLD SPONSORS
• Brown's Barber Shop
• The Dam Toy Store
• Designs by Lonni
• Routley's Septic Services — who donated a porta-potty for the event!

Whether through monetary donations, services, equipment, or simply continuing to support our department and our community, these businesses help make events like this possible.

We can't thank all of our sponsors enough for their generosity and willingness to support their local fire department.

When you get the opportunity, please return the favor and support the businesses that continue to support our community!

THANK YOU!

08/11/2026

🥎🚒 THE TEAMS ARE SET! 🚑🚓

The field is officially set for our 2nd Annual First Responders Softball Tournament at Buffalo Park!

Six teams representing area first responder agencies and organizations will take the field in a double-elimination tournament, all competing for the trophy and, more importantly, bragging rights to take back to their department!

Taking the field this year:

🥎 Morton Twp. Ash Kickers
🥎 Flatliners
🥎 MCSO
🥎 Mecosta Township Fire & Rescue
🥎 Master Batters
🥎 Breezy Films

📋 The tournament bracket is attached below! Check it out to see the opening matchups and follow your team through the tournament.

⏰ TOURNAMENT INFO

The first games begin at 9:00 AM SHARP, with team check-in and registration beginning at 8:00 AM. Games will have a one-hour time limit. We'll do our best to keep games and activities running on schedule throughout the day.

💪 POWERBANDS

Powerbands will be available for $10 each. Any home run hit by a batter without a Powerband will be recorded as an out!

🔥 HOME RUN DERBY

Tournament play will take a break for our Home Run Derby from 12:00 PM–1:00 PM!

💲 $10 per entry
⚾ 15 pitches per batter

🏆 WHO TAKES HOME THE TROPHY?

Mecosta Township Fire & Rescue enters this year's tournament as the defending champions. At the end of the day, one team will walk away with the trophy and a year's worth of bragging rights!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 SPECTATORS ARE WELCOME — FREE ADMISSION!

Come out to Buffalo Park in Stanwood, next to the Stanwood Eagles, and spend the morning watching some friendly competition between our area's first responders.

Bone Doc's food truck will be on site for most of the morning before heading downtown to join the Stanwood Summerfest festivities.

🥾 FILL THE BOOT — SUPPORTING PORK FOR A PURPOSE

Throughout the softball tournament and Stanwood Summerfest, we'll also be holding a Fill the Boot fundraiser benefiting Pork for a Purpose!

Pork for a Purpose is a local annual fundraising event dedicated to helping local families in need. Since beginning in 2011, the event has raised nearly $192,000 for local families!

Every dollar donated during our Fill the Boot campaign will be donated to Pork for a Purpose to help them continue supporting families in our community when they need it most. The flyer for Pork for a Purpose is attached below.

🎶 KEEP THE DAY GOING AT STANWOOD SUMMERFEST!

After spending the day at the ballpark, head downtown for Stanwood Summerfest from 3:00 PM–10:00 PM!

Summerfest will feature live music, vendor booths, a beer tent, art projects, the Stanwood Story Project, and more!

Come out, watch some softball, support a great local cause, and then head downtown to enjoy Summerfest. It's shaping up to be a great day in Stanwood!