New Grand Blanc Twp., MI, Fire Chief's First Focus is Examining EMS Service

GRAND BLANC TWP., MI – Just a couple months into his appointment, Grand Blanc Township Fire Department’s new chief is looking for ways to build upon the township’s emergency services.

“I feel honored to be appointed fire chief,” Jamie Jent said. “The members of the fire department have been great. Everybody here in the township has been supportive. I have no complaints whatsoever.”

The township’s previous fire chief, Robert Burdette, retired in December, and Deputy Chief Kent Maricle served as the department’s interim fire chief prior to Jent’s appointment in April.

Previously, Jent served as the Dearborn Fire Department’s battalion chief of training for a total of 12 years and worked as an engineer for the department, which he joined in 2000.

Jent has also worked for the Taylor, Southgate, and Ecorse fire departments.

The Melvindale native said he planned on becoming a doctor when he graduated from high school but ultimately decided he “really didn’t feel like going to school for 12 years.”

A family friend who already worked as a firefighter helped inspire Jent to pursue a career in the field while they worked together in construction.

“I had always been interested in the fire service, but I really didn’t know a lot,” Jent said. “He explained to me their schedule and what they did, and he pointed me in the right direction. And I signed up for the fire academy.”

In addition to his experience as a firefighter, Jent is a licensed paramedic.

One of his priorities as the township’s fire chief is to improve EMS services in the area, something the municipality has also been trying to do.

“In Dearborn, we ran 19,000 runs a year,” he said. “ We had five ambulances. We had a separate EMS division. So we’re intimately familiar with the EMS aspect of the fire service.”

The township has considered medical first responder training for township firefighters and police officers as a potential way to help bridge any existing gaps in area EMS services.

“I was kind of shocked when I got here to see the state that the EMS system was in,” Jent said.

Jent also hopes to acquire additional manpower to ensure that the department is able to provide adequate service for the township.

“That’s priority number one for myself,” he said.

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