ALPINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Alpine Township Fire Chief Dave Klomparens has medically resigned from the department he helped transform — not because of a fire, but because of a fall at his own home.
In April 2025, Klomparens suffered a severe head trauma after falling on his property. The injury required extensive surgery, including the removal of a damaged portion of his skull, followed by months of rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed and Corewell Health. A prosthetic implant was later placed to reconstruct his skull, and he was on track to return to work — until he suffered a seizure in late October, just days before his planned return.
The seizure, traced back to the site of his original injury, changed everything.
Under NFPA 1582 — the national standard governing firefighter health and safety — Klomparens is no longer able to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA. The concern: if a firefighter wearing an SCBA has a seizure, they may be unable to activate the exhalation valve, risking suffocation. Clearance to return would require 10 consecutive seizure-free years.
"At my age, that's just not going to happen," Klomparens said.
His departure marks the end of a tenure defined by significant growth for the department. Under his leadership, Alpine Township Fire transitioned from a paid-on-call department to a career department with full-time professional firefighters and a full-time inspector — a change made possible in part through a community-supported millage vote. Response times improved, equipment was upgraded through grants, and training standards rose across the board.
"I am okay," Klomparens said. "I am thankful to be able to stand vertical."
Deputy Chief Jeremy Kelly has stepped into the chief's role. Kelly, a 27-year department veteran with a background as a paramedic and most recently as an EMS coordinator at Corewell Health, said the past year brought considerable uncertainty — but also clarity about his purpose.
"I wholeheartedly believe that this is where I'm supposed to be," Kelly said. "All of my jobs up to now has prepared me for this job."
Kelly said the department's priorities moving forward include tightening training and updating policies as it operates as a full career department. He noted that a department's ISO rating — tied closely to training standards — directly affects residents' homeowners insurance rates, giving the work added importance beyond safety.
The transition has been an emotional one. Kelly said he practiced the speech he gave at Klomparens' farewell more than eight times trying to get through it without breaking down — and still couldn't hold it together when the moment came.
"The emotion knows that we care," Kelly said. "We care about him, we care about this department, and we care about this community."
Klomparens said he has no plans to disappear entirely. He's offered to continue advising Kelly and the department, and is considering taking on small woodworking projects in the meantime — drawing on a Michigan builder's license he's held for years.
"We have the right attitude to move forward," he said. "And that's what we'll do."
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