Water Rescue and Marine Operations
Water, Ice and Dive RescueIce, surface water and dive rescue on Lake St. Clair, the Salt River and the township's inland waterways, with Marine 1 moored on the Salt River from March to December.
About the Water Rescue and Marine Operations
Bordered by Lake St. Clair and home to many inland lakes, rivers and streams, Chesterfield Township faces a real risk of emergencies in and on the water. The Water Rescue and Marine Operations program is equipped for ice rescue, surface water rescue, dive rescue and cold water diving.
The department is part of the Southeast Michigan Dive Group, one of the largest mutual aid dive groups in Michigan, and Chesterfield units also assist the Macomb County Sheriff's Office Marine Division and the United States Coast Guard.
Marine 1, the Department of Public Safety's multi-use boat, is moored on the Salt River from March 1 until December 1, weather permitting, and is used by both fire and police personnel. When a call comes in and the boat is not staffed, fire personnel respond from the stations and put it on the water within minutes. Smaller boats reach inland and shallow waterways.
The department's nine qualified rescue divers carry compact rapid diver scuba kits on the apparatus every day, so a diver can go into the water as soon as a crew arrives.
Responsibilities
- Water rescue and search and rescue
- Ice rescue, surface water rescue and cold water diving
- Medical treatment on the waterways
- Fire suppression of docks, boats and shore-based fires
- Underwater diver deployments with the Southeast Michigan Dive Group
- Assist the Sheriff's Marine Division and the U.S. Coast Guard
The Dive Team in 2025
In 2025 the Chesterfield Township dive team:
- Conducted 32 training dives
- Completed two special event deployments
- Made two deployments to search for a lost drone in St. Clair County
- Made one deployment to assist in a missing person search
- Completed one training deployment to Mackinaw, Michigan
Detroit Flood Rescue
When a water transmission main broke in Detroit and flooded a neighborhood, the Southeast Michigan Dive Group requested a boat and crew from Chesterfield. The crew was assembled and en route within 12 minutes, and helped rescue between 35 and 40 people and pets from the flooded homes.
Strategic Plan: Water Rescue Response Model
The 2025-2030 Strategic Plan commits the department to a water rescue response model covering surface, dive, ice and marine operations, with defined training levels, periodic skills evaluations and equipment lists.
Facts and Figures
| Task | Low Risk | Medium Risk | High Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incident Command | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Boat Operator | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Rescue Swimmer / Diver | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Backup Diver | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Boat Crew Member | 1 | 1 | |
| Shore Support | 1-3 | 3-5 | 5-8 |
| Effective Response Force | 9-11 | 14-17 |
Water Rescue and Marine Operations Gallery
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