By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- • The Cascade Fire Department in Kent County, Michigan, is developing a basic life support (BLS) ambulance transport program following 18 months of call data analysis showing unsustainable growth in low-acuity EMS demand.
- • The department responds to approximately 3,000 calls per year, including more than 1,000 lower-acuity medical calls involving falls, lift assists, medical alarms, and general illnesses — categories that face ambulance delays when private providers are handling higher-priority emergencies.
- • The Cascade Township Board has approved the fire department proceeding with development of the proposal; if enacted, Cascade would become the first Kent County fire department to operate its own ambulance transport service.
- • The program would be funded through insurance reimbursements and transport revenue rather than a tax increase, and would require the addition of at least one ambulance and supporting staffing.
- • A final plan is expected to be presented to the township board in August 2026.
CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Cascade Fire Department is developing a proposal to launch its own basic life support ambulance transport program, following an 18-month internal review of call data that identified mounting low-acuity EMS demands as an unsustainable strain on department resources, Fire Chief Adam Magers said June 5, 2026.
The department currently responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually, with more than 1,000 of those falling into the lower-acuity “med three” category — a classification encompassing minor injuries, illnesses, psychiatric evaluations, falls, and lift assists. Magers said those calls frequently face delayed ambulance response when private providers in the service area are committed to higher-priority emergencies. EMS transport in Kent County is currently provided by private services including American Medical Response and Life EMS Ambulance, operating within the oversight framework of the West Michigan Regional Medical Control Consortium.
The Cascade Township Board has authorized the fire department to move forward with developing the BLS transport program. Under the proposed structure, the program would be funded through insurance reimbursements and patient transport revenue, without requiring a new tax increase. The department has examined analogous programs in Ann Arbor and Barry County, Michigan, as reference models while developing its own approach.
If approved and implemented, Cascade would become the first fire department in Kent County to operate its own ambulance transport service. Department officials said the proposal will now enter a detailed development phase covering staffing requirements, equipment acquisition, billing systems, and operational protocols before a final plan is submitted to the Cascade Township Board in August 2026.