The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety has received a national award for its efforts to protect the community.
Speaking to city commissioners this week, Deputy Director of Fire Services Brian Kazmierzak said the department’s fire and code compliance division was honored last month with the Community Risk Reduction Program of the Year Award at the First Due Unify Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. He said the department’s five inspectors work each day to help prevent tragedy in the city.
“Our code compliance firefighters are about improving quality of life and life safety, and when you think about what a firefighter’s job is or what a public safety officer’s job is, life safety is always number one,” Kazmierzak said. “We will save more lives through code enforcement, fire prevention than we ever will going inside burning buildings.”
Kazmierzak said Benton Harbor Public Safety even sometimes gets criticized by other communities for its code compliance work, but it’s all worth it.
Also this week, city commissioners voted to approve the purchase of 22 sets of personal protective equipment for firefighters using a $109,000 federal grant, and they approved the use of a $124,000 grant for the department offer training for other local fire departments.
