Emergency Management
PreparednessThe fire department runs the township's Emergency Operations Center under the direction of the Fire Chief, and plans for the severe weather that has struck Chesterfield before.
About the Emergency Management
The Chesterfield Township Fire Department provides emergency management for the township under the direction of the Fire Chief. When an incident requires township leaders to assemble and make emergency decisions, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) opens in the training room at Fire Station 3.
In a severe weather event, flood or other major emergency the EOC becomes the center for communications and decision making, and it can operate for weeks at a time. It is staffed by police, fire, EMS, public works and township administration.
Severe weather is the most damaging risk in Chesterfield Township. In 1964 an EF-4 tornado killed 13 people and caused more than four million dollars in damage, and in August 2023 heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding and a presidential disaster declaration.
Responsibilities
- Open and staff the township Emergency Operations Center
- Work with the Macomb County Office of Emergency Management
- Plan for all four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery
- Attend state, county and local emergency management briefings
- Maintain ICS and Blue Card training across the command staff
Outdoor Warning Sirens
Eight outdoor warning sirens are positioned around Chesterfield Township. Macomb County activates them for a tornado warning, a severe thunderstorm warning with projected winds over 70 miles an hour, or a funnel cloud or tornado reported by trained spotters, and occasionally for an emergency such as a train derailment or chemical release.
The sirens are designed to warn people outdoors to go inside and find out more. They will not wake you up inside your home, so keep a weather alert radio or a phone with emergency alerts turned on.
Strategic Plan: Emergency Preparedness
The 2025-2030 Strategic Plan commits the department to keeping operations running through a disaster, by writing a Continuity of Operations Plan for adoption by the township's elected officials and developing a public emergency shelter program.