Brighton Area Fire Department

What Brighton Area Fire Department does

Brighton Area Fire Authority (BAFA) is a government fire authority formed on January 1, 2001, that consolidates fire protection services for the City of Brighton, the Charter Township of Brighton, and Genoa Township in Livingston County, Michigan. The Authority serves approximately 47,000 residents across a 74-square-mile response district that also encompasses over 30 miles of interstate roadway (I-96 and the U.S. 23 interchange), nine schools across three districts, and commercial and industrial properties subject to fire code enforcement. Tracing its origins to the 1876 Village of Brighton bucket brigade, BAFA operates as a combination department staffed by approximately 90 full-time, part-time, and paid-on-call personnel, each required to hold State of Michigan Fire Fighter I/II, Hazardous Materials Operations, and EMT certifications.

The Authority delivers 24/7 emergency response from five strategically placed fire stations (Stations 31 through 35), providing fire suppression, Basic Life Support emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, Urban Search and Rescue, water/dive/ice rescue, and technical rescue. The apparatus fleet is built primarily around modern Pierce vehicles — engines, tankers, rescues, and a 100-foot aerial platform — equipped with Class A foam systems. Two sonar/GPS-equipped rescue boats (a 14-foot inflatable and a 16-foot aluminum vessel, acquired January 2026) extend capabilities across local lakes with interoperability for county-wide operations. Specialized teams include Dive Rescue, Hazardous Materials, Technical Rescue, and Incident Management, coordinated through Livingston County mutual aid. Supporting emergency response, the Fire Marshal Division runs plan review, fire inspections, and permitting under the 2024 International Fire Code (adopted June 1, 2025), while PulsePoint AED integration enables community-based cardiac emergency response.

BAFA is funded primarily through voter-approved property tax millages: a 0.089-mill capital millage, a 0.89-mill 2019 capital millage expiring in 2030, and an operating millage of 1.5 mills that rises to 2.75 mills beginning December 2026 following approval on November 5, 2024. Supplemental revenue streams include EMS billing through third-party administrator EMS/MC, plan review and permit fees, American Heart Association-accredited CPR/AED classes at $75 per student, BAFFA nonprofit reflective address sign sales ($15 each), and a $1.2 million federal congressional grant partially offsetting the $7.6 million Station 31 renovation. The millage-based, voter-approved structure provides multi-year revenue visibility tied to a captive municipal tax base.

Name

Brighton Area Fire Department

Legal name

Brighton Area Fire Authority

Website

https://brightonareafire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Brighton Area Fire Authority is a government fire authority operating five stations across a 74-square-mile district in Livingston County, Michigan, serving 47,000+ residents with fire suppression, EMS, hazmat, and specialized rescue services funded by voter-approved millages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Emergency Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical response
• Hazardous materials response
• Fire prevention inspections
• Technical rescue services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton, Michigan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Capital Millage: A capital millage at a rate of 0.089 mills is dedicated to funding long-term capital needs including fire stations, apparatus, and life-saving equipment. Additionally, a separate 2019 voter-approved capital millage of 0.89 mills (assessed on summer tax bill, expiring in 2030) funds capital expenditures including fire apparatus, fire stations, turnout gear, and breathing apparatus.
2. Operating Millage: An operating millage currently at 1.5 mills (last collection December 2025) funds day-to-day operations including firefighter salaries and benefits, training, fuel, station utilities, and administrative expenses. Beginning December 2026, this will increase to 2.75 mills to support staffing all five fire stations and growing operational costs.
3. EMS Billing: Revenue generated from billing for Emergency Medical Services provided to patients. EMS billing is administered through a third-party provider (EMS/MC) with customer service available at 800.814.5339.
4. Plan Review and Permit Fees: Revenue from reviewing construction plans, issuing fire permits (tent permits, mobile food permits), and conducting inspections for new construction and existing facilities. Fee schedules are published for plan review services.
5. CPR Class Fees: CPR/AED certification courses offered to the public at $75 per student, with certification cards provided upon completion. Classes are held at Station 34 on the 3rd Wednesday of every other month.
6. Reflective Address Sign Sales: Reflective address signs sold by the Brighton Area Fire Fighters Association (BAFFA) at $15 per sign. Proceeds fund the BAFFA nonprofit organization. These signs help emergency responders locate residences quickly.
7. Federal Grant Funding: The Authority secured a $1.2 million congressional grant to partially offset the $7.6 million Station 31 renovation costs, reducing the impact on millage-funded reserves.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Brighton Area Fire Authority is a combination fire department delivering 24/7 fire suppression, Basic Life Support emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), and water/dive rescue from five strategically placed fire stations across a 74-square-mile district. The Authority also operates a Fire Marshal Division providing plan reviews, inspections, and permits under the 2024 International Fire Code, alongside community risk reduction programs, CPR/AED training, and youth cadet academies.

Product overview

The Brighton Area Fire Authority operates as a combination fire department providing comprehensive emergency services to a 74-square-mile district serving 47,000+ residents across the City of Brighton, Brighton Township, and Genoa Township in Michigan. The core service portfolio centers on 24/7 emergency response capabilities including fire suppression, Basic Life Support emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), and specialized water/dive rescue operations delivered through five strategically positioned fire stations. Supporting the emergency response mission, the Authority offers Fire Marshal Division services encompassing fire inspections, plan reviews, and permit processing for fire sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and special events. Community engagement programs include Community Risk Reduction education, American Heart Association-accredited CPR/AED training, the Junior Cadet Program for young adults, and a High School Fire Academy. Additional community safety services include free smoke alarm installation and reflective address signs. The organization operates as a public safety authority governed by a seven-member Board of Trustees with funding derived from capital and operating millages approved by voters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Response Services 24/7 emergency response covering fire suppression, Basic Life Support emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), and water/dive rescue operations across the 74-square-mile response district serving 47,000+ residents.
• Fire Station Operations Five strategically placed fire stations (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) providing continuous 24/7 coverage with full-time on-duty personnel, engines, tankers, rescues, aerial apparatus, and specialized vehicles.
• Fire Marshal Division Services Fire prevention services including plan reviews, fire inspections, fire code enforcement, and permit processing for new construction and existing buildings under the 2024 International Fire Code.
• Plan Review and Permits Review of fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, backflow devices, and hydrant flow testing. Issues permits for mobile food units, tents, and special events.
• Fire Inspections Uniformed fire inspectors conduct on-site inspections of commercial and residential properties, reviewing emergency contact information, chemical surveys, hazardous materials, and emergency lighting systems.
• CPR and AED Training American Heart Association-accredited CPR and AED certification courses for children, infants, and adults, offered to the general public at $75 per student on alternating months at Station 34.
• Community Risk Reduction Public education programs on fire safety, smoke alarms, emergency preparedness, and community outreach including school presentations, station tours, and CPR classes.
• Junior Cadet Program Training program for high school students ages 16-18 to gain hands-on firefighting experience, teamwork skills, and civic responsibility before eligibility for paid-on-call positions.
• Howell Schools Fire Academy High school academy program allowing juniors and seniors to earn State of Michigan Firefighter I & II certification through morning classes held at Station 34.
• Smoke Alarm Installation Program Free smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector installation for residents, with online request form and educational materials on detector placement and maintenance.
• Reflective Address Signs Highly-visible reflective address signs sold at $15 each by the Brighton Area Fire Fighters Association to help emergency responders locate residences quickly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Covers 74 square miles with 47,000+ residents across three municipalities from 5 fire stations with 24/7 staffing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Livingston and Surrounding Counties (Emergency Response)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2026The Authority's new sonar-equipped rescue boats are designed for seamless interoperability with Livingston and surrounding counties during critical dive, ice, and water rescue incidents. The boats feature GPS/sonar chartplotters essential for tracking search patterns and accurately marking points of interest during county-wide rescue operations.
• Livingston County Dive TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Livingston County Dive Team is composed of members from Livingston County Fire departments and the Livingston County Sheriff's Department. BAFA's Dive Rescue Team responds to all dive team calls with full dive gear and Boat 30 to perform searches both in and above water. Currently 7 Brighton firefighters serve on the county dive team.
• Livingston County Technical Rescue TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAFA's Technical Rescue Team trains and responds in collaboration with the county-level team comprised of firefighters and EMS personnel from throughout the county. BAFA contributes 6 firefighters to the team. The team responds to elevated (ropes), confined space, collapse, or trench rescue incidents within the county and beyond.
• Livingston County Incident Management Team (IMT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IMT is composed of Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, Health, and Emergency Management departments. It provides standardized hierarchical structure for managing all aspects of a crisis, including command and control, situation assessment, action planning, resource management, communication, safety, and documentation. BAFA team members include Michael Evans, Brian Siriani, Richard Boisvert, Jim Tester, Lauren Brookins, and Ian Griffith.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Howell Area Fire Department: Livingston County neighbor and mutual-aid partner of BAFA, providing fire suppression and EMS from stations serving Howell city and surrounding townships. Closest geographic and operational peer — similar combination staffing model, similar apparatus fleet, and overlapping dive/technical rescue team participation.
• Pinckney Area Fire Department: Small Livingston County fire department providing fire suppression, rescue, and EMS to Putnam Township and surrounding areas. Direct operational and geographic peer, partnering with BAFA on county dive/technical rescue teams.
• Northville Township Fire Department: Wayne County combination fire authority serving Northville Township with comparable service scope, ISO ratings, and Wayne County-area mutual-aid participation. Direct peer in size, combination staffing, and suburban Detroit-area service profile.
• Saline Area Fire Department: Washtenaw County combination fire department serving Saline Township and city with comparable service mix, millage-funded operations, and small-to-mid-sized Michigan authority profile. Comparable peer for capital planning and combination staffing benchmarks.
• Hamburg Township Fire Department: Adjacent Livingston County fire authority providing comparable combination fire and EMS service across a township footprint of similar character to BAFA's township coverage. Direct peer in geographic territory, service mix, and county-level mutual-aid participation.
• Green Oak Township Fire Department: Livingston County township fire authority providing combination fire and EMS service to a community immediately adjacent to BAFA's coverage area. Direct peer in service model, funding approach, and response-territory characteristics.
• Dexter Area Fire Department: Washtenaw County combination fire department serving Dexter Township and Village with similar service portfolio (suppression, EMS, rescue) and combination staffing. Comparable mid-sized Michigan authority with voter-approved millage funding and community-focused programming.

Broad incumbents

• Lansing Fire Department: Capital-city Michigan municipal fire department with full-time career staffing providing fire suppression, EMS, hazmat, and technical rescue to a major urban population. Comparable in service breadth and Michigan-property-tax funding model, but materially larger scale and fully career (no paid-on-call component).
• Ann Arbor Fire Department: Michigan municipal fire department serving a larger population center (~124,000) with comparable combination-of-services scope (suppression, EMS, hazmat, technical rescue). Comparable as a same-state Michigan fire authority funded by property-tax millages, but materially larger in scale and budget, serving as a regional incumbent relative to BAFA.

Others

• Livingston County Emergency Management: County-level public safety authority coordinating emergency preparedness, IMT, and mutual-aid response across all Livingston County fire departments including BAFA. Adjacent enabling entity that BAFA participates in via the Incident Management Team, relevant as a regional coordination counterpart rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bafafire
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrightonArea
• Instagraminstagram.com/bafafire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brighton-area-fire-department

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brighton Area Fire Department