Hillsdale Township Fire Department

Hillsdale Rural Fire Department has been providing fire protection to the residents of Hillsdale and Cambria Townships since 1946. We first started running out of a station garage next to Stocks Mill in the city of Hillsdale in 1946, in what is now the Hillsdale County Sheriff Maintenance Garage. In 1994 we started running out of our current location at 2323 West Bacon Road about 1 mile West of the city limits. In 2014, members of the Hillsdale Rural Fire Association voted to disband the association and the fire department, and allow Hillsdale Township to assume all responsibilities and ownership of assets, equipment, and trucks. As of 2015, the department began operating as Hillsdale Township Fire Department. We are an organized, paid volunteer department with strong working relationships with several surrounding departments. One of Hillsdale Countys 14 fire departments, HTFD serves about 8,000 people in Hillsdale and the Northern 1/3 of Cambria Township with Reading Fire Department covering the other 2/3. We run 6 trucks out of our station including 2 water tankers, 2 pumpers, and 2 brush trucks. HTFD will respond to any request for mutual aid by any fire department in the county and surrounding area. HTFD obtained the first set of JAWS OF LIFE in Hillsdale County running as the Hillsdale County Rescue Squad until the mid 1990's. Fire department operations are governed through a Fire Board of Directors, made of representatives of Hillsdale and Cambria Townships. Cambria Township pays a set yearly fee for fire coverage to Hillsdale Township and Reading Fire Departments.