By Nathan Clark
mlive.com
SUMMIT TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Summit Township’s Fire Station 2 was briefly closed Wednesday afternoon, lengthening emergency response times, due to a staffing issue.
The fire station was unmanned from 4 to 9 p.m. April 30 and closed for operations. Other fire departments then had to handle emergency calls as a result while response times were longer for calls within their coverage area, according to posts on the firefighter union’s Facebook page.
The station could face additional closures if the township and its firefighters don’t agree to a new union contract, putting the hiring of two new firefighters in limbo, Summit/Jackson Professional Firefighters Union President Scott Stoker said.
“You could see an increase of the closure of the station, an increase of overtime that’s paid out to keep the station open and they have also went so far as to take the chiefs out of their offices and staff the fire trucks with them to keep stations open, which is not common in a full-time fire department,” Stoker said.
The union’s contract with the township expired March 31 and a new contract has yet to be signed as of May 2.
Summit Township Supervisor John Griffin said the township is working on filling the two open slots but could not say definitively when they would be filled.
“We have every intention of filling the vacancies and the money is in the budget, but we’re in the middle of contract negotiations and one of the big things is what kind of retirement will new hires get,” Griffin said.
Both Stoker and Griffin declined to comment on the ongoing contract negotiations.
“I’m not sure if they are using hiring as leverage against the union for contract negotiations, but I would say that it’s unfortunate that they’re putting the citizens and firefighters at risk over the union contract,” Stoker said.
There were four minor emergency calls for service in Summit Township during the 5-hour closure. One was a gas leak at a retirement facility in the township coverage area, Summit Township Deputy Chief Jim Warner said.
The closure added an additional 3-4 minutes for fire crews to respond to the scene, he said.
The retirement facility, part of the Countryside Retirement Community on Robinson Road, reported a gas leak inside one of its villas. The gas had to be shut off and a tenant had to be moved temporarily, said Crystal Dillon, director of operations for the Ganton-owned facility
“We are very fortunate to be located very close to the fire station with a retirement community spanning 100 acres of all levels of living,” she said. “Shortages, temporary, in the fire department could certainly have a detrimental effect on our community.”
Dillon said she has not noticed an increase in response times so far, but she is hoping the fire department fills its open positions soon.
Warner declined to comment further, directing all additional questions about the closure and the union dispute to the township supervisor.
The station, located at 2507 Spring Arbor Road, is one of two fire stations in Summit Township staffed 24 hours a day providing coverage for the township and the city of Jackson and its surrounding areas.
“Our departments work side-by-side on a daily basis—we rely on each other to provide critical services and ensure seamless emergency response,” Jackson Fire Chief Tim Gonzales said in a written statement. “That level of trust and collaboration doesn’t pause during difficult times. We are proud to stand with them and assist however we can.”
The city and the township signed a mutual aid contract that allows the fire departments to respond to medical emergencies outside their township or city limits if the call is closer to where they are stationed.
“When there is an emergency, time is of the essence. Having the fire station closed is very concerning to me,” said Maria Smith, a Summit Township resident of 30 years who lives near Summit Station 2.
“I know what kind of damage a house fire can do if firefighters don’t arrive quickly. I hope the union and the township reach an agreement soon that benefits everyone,” she said.
As of March 31, when the union contract expired, the Summit Township Fire Department operated with 18 personnel spanning three shifts, six firefighters per shift with three at each station.
“We were hoping to have this settled two months ago, but we’ve been in mediation and we’ve been a standstill in arbitration,” Griffin said. “I can say one thing though. We’re not going to negotiate a union contract on Facebook.”
Two firefighters retired on April 1. This led to a which reorganization, with two shifts of five firefighters and one with six while the department waited for the two open positions to be filled.
On April 30, while a five-crew shift was on duty at both stations, one firefighter was off for training in Detroit and another had a family emergency and was unavailable to work, reducing the shift to three, Stoker said.
As each fire station needs to have a minimum of two firefighters to stay open and operate, Firefighter Ross Emerson volunteered for overtime to keep the station open until 4 p.m., when the station was closed and the lone firefighter on shift was reassigned to Station 1.
The station was closed for five hours until 9 p.m., when Capt. John Gonzales came in on his day off and worked a 33.5-hour shift to keep the station open all night with the other firefighter on shift, Stoker said.
“We are not closing the station by design or intent and we are doing everything we can to not have it close,” Griffin said.
The station would not have had to close had it been a six-crew shift working that day, Stoker said.
Station 2 is currently staffed and back open, but the potential for delayed response time remains.
“Some people could say it’s not that big of a deal having to wait another minute for a truck to get there. Well, I would reply to that ‘how about you hold your breath for a minute and tell me how you feel,’” Stoker said. “If somebody’s not breathing and they have that extra response time, it does make a big difference.”
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