This May, Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids, MI, completed construction of a new $14.5 million Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) building. Designed to support the airport’s ongoing commitment to passenger safety and operational efficiency, the 25,000-square-foot facility provides space for its 19-person ARFF staff and four advanced firefighting vehicles, including an Oshkosh Striker 6×6 GRR took delivery of last summer. The new station also features specially designed training areas and direct access to the Airport Operations Center.
“Safety is first and foremost,” emphasizes Alex Peric, vice president and chief operating officer at GRR. “We’re not an airport if we’re not safe, so we wanted to make that investment in our public safety and operations department.”
Driven in part by the airport’s rapid growth since 2015, planning for the new ARFF station began in 2017. GRR is Michigan’s second-busiest airport, serving over 4 million passengers in 2024—10% more than the previous year.
Peric notes that the new facility, funded through a combination of federal and state grants as well as airport revenue bonds, provides a “proper work environment” for GRR’s emergency response employees…