Q&A with Bay City Public Safety Director Caleb Rowell

The Bay City Department of Public Safety (BCDPS) was created in 2013 when law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services were merged. Today, the department includes sworn, civilian, and volunteer staff. Public Safety Director Caleb Rowell was appointed in 2022. Rowell has worked in the department since 1998, serving as a School Resource Officer, Field Training Officer, Civil Disorder Instructor, Patrol Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, Captain and Deputy Director. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Saginaw Valley State University and graduated from the FBI National Academy. He also attended the Northeastern Police Academy at Delta College and the Bay County Fire Academy. He obtained Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I, II and III, Fire Instructor I, and Public Safety Director certifications from the State of Michigan. Rowell has also served as a 4-H Volunteer Leader and youth soccer coach.

Route Bay City spoke with Rowell to learn what’s happening with public safety in the community.

QUESTION: What drew you to serve as a police officer and firefighter in Bay City?

ANSWER: I was drawn to be a police officer for the variety of the profession. I was not interested in a desk job and found law enforcement to a good fit that required both mental and physical abilities to be successful.  At the time I started in 1998, I chose Bay City because to me it was a “bigger city” compared to Oscoda where I grew up. I thought it would be busy enough to keep me interested but not so crazy that I couldn’t have a sizeable impact as just one person. Serving as a firefighter was never really a thought of mine until the city began exploring the development of Public Safety Department. I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for the firefighting profession, and I truly enjoy being a part of that culture. Although it is something I never really saw myself doing, I’m glad I was given the opportunity to serve in that capacity.

Q: What’s going well for the BCDPS? 

A: I believe there are quite a few things going well for the Department. At the top of the list would have to be the personnel that work here. Both the law enforcement and fire professions have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of people pursuing these careers. Despite that fact, we have managed to hire outstanding people that continue to amaze me every day for their dedication and service to the community. Overall, the law enforcement and fire personnel employed by the Department is about half what it was when I began my career. With half the people, we have been able to maintain a very high level of service to the community. 

Q: What challenges do you expect the BCDPS to face in 2026? As early as 2019, then-Chief Michael Cecchini was raising the issue of aging fire stations. (Read more in this Feb. 7, 2019 Route Bay City article.) In 2025, the City Commission discussed funding repairs. 

A: As you can imagine, the fire stations have not gotten any younger. The clean-up and replacement of Station 2 is one of our top priorities currently. Due to the training that took place in years past at that location, there is a high level of PFAS contamination where Station 2 is located. This is also our oldest station, which was built in the 1950’s. It does not meet any of the current standards for a fire station and is poor condition. I believe that we need to move forward to build a new station somewhere in fairly close proximity to where Station 2 currently sits. Personnel at that station respond to a high number of calls and none of the other fire stations are close enough to maintain a reasonable response time to that area of the city without a station in that area. Stations 1 and 4 are both older as well but I believe we can prolong their life by investing a relatively small amount of money to repair and update those stations.

The Law Enforcement Center is shared between us and the Bay County Sheriff’s Department, including the Bay County Jail. This building has many issues as well that Bay County has been addressing with improvements over the past year and currently. We are hopeful that we continue moving forward with improving the building so that we can continue to share this space with the Sheriff’s office into the future.

I have given a few presentations to the Bay City Commission over the past few years regarding the aging public safety infrastructure. I look forward to working with City Manager and the City Commission toward a solution.

Q: How will you make the most of our local assets? How will you address the challenges?

A: I am cognizant of the financial status of our city. Over the course of my career, reductions to Public Safety have saved the city large amounts of money. As we move forward, I am constantly looking for ways to streamline services. One of the ways I believe we can do that is through advancements in technology. If we can reduce the amount of time officers and firefighters spend on certain tasks, they will be free to conduct more proactive activity and have a bigger impact in the community. One example is the recent implementation of our “e-cop” citizen reporting portal. This allows the public to file a report through an online portal in instances where their property was damaged or stolen and they have no information on a suspect. This frees up the officer that would normally take that report to conduct traffic enforcement or some other proactive activity. 

Without a drastic increase in population, we will need to continue to examine everything we do to look for efficiency. I would love to be able to increase the number of public safety personnel that we have but people are expensive and the citizens expect us to operate as economically as possible.

Q: What are your goals for the BCDPS in 2026?

A: We have many on-going goals for the next few years. I have attached our 2025-2029 Strategic Plan which provides more information on what those goals are.

As I discussed above, replacing Station 2 is probably number one on the priority list.

Q: What is something you wish the community understood about police and fire services?

A: I would like everyone to see/learn about what police and fire personnel are confronted with on a daily basis. The amount of trauma the average first responder deals with is hundreds of times more than the average person. This trauma takes a toll on people. They are constantly responding to incidents involving people that are having some of the worst moments of their lives. First responders are people, just like everyone else, and sometimes it seems they are expected to be robots, void of emotion. I want the community to know that the police and fire services are made up of very good people doing what they can to serve the community to the best of their ability.

“Without a drastic increase in population, we will need to continue to examine everything we do to look for efficiency. I would love to be able to increase the number of public safety personnel that we have but people are expensive and the citizens expect us to operate as economically as possible.”

Bay City Department of Public Safety Director Caleb Rowell

Q: How can individuals in the community protect their own safety?

A: There are many things individuals can do to protect their own safety. Be aware of their surroundings. If something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t right. Avoid the area if possible. Carry a cell phone with you whenever possible and let at least one other person know where you are/or when to expect you. When out and about, it is best to be with someone else, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area you are in. Avoid people trying to provoke you, swallow your pride, and walk away (or drive away – aka – road rage).

Q: How can individuals in the community help the BCDPS?

A: There are countless ways the community can help the DPS. In fact, we cannot be successful without some level of help from the community. Many of the crimes we investigate would not be solved without a member of the community stepping forward to do the right thing and provide information to us. We are not asking you to call and tattle on your neighbor for every little thing, but if you witness or have information about a criminal act, please let us know. 

If you have questions or concerns, don’t be afraid to reach out to us and ask. We are more accessible than ever with our Bay City DPS app, our website, and, of course, via 911.