Sister Lakes Fire Department

What This Data Tells You About Sister Lakes Fire Department

Sister Lakes Fire Department operates as a Volunteer department in Dowagiac, within Van Buren County, and the HIFLD and USFA records give a precise structural picture of its response capacity. The department reports 55 total personnel, 1 station, no truck inventory reported. EMS capability is listed as active.

Benchmarking against the state gives this profile context. Michigan has 1,274 registered fire departments and 28,594 total personnel, averaging roughly 22 staff per department. Sister Lakes Fire Department runs 150% above that state average, signalling a larger-than-typical crew likely tied to denser population or higher call volume. The state records about 54,500 fires, 112 fire deaths, and 61% volunteer coverage each year, which shapes training, funding priorities, and mutual-aid patterns felt at every department in the state.

No FEMA AFG or SAFER grant awards are recorded against this department's FDID in USAspending data, which is common for smaller or volunteer-heavy organizations that lean on state and local funding instead.