By Dylan Goetz
mlive.com
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Less than two weeks after being reinstated following concerns over staffing, Fire Chief Jamie Jent said the Grand Blanc Township church shooting and fire underscored the department’s ongoing staffing problems.
Jent laid out a plan to increase staffing levels for the fire department at the Grand Blanc Township board meeting on Nov. 11.
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The chief suggested that Grand Blanc Township add four full-time firefighters to meet safety standards and secure appropriate response times. No decisions were made at the meeting, but township officials will continue discussions as they work on the 2026 budget.
Jent said the Sept. 28 shooting and fire that killed four people at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prompted him to add 90 shifts to the schedule. Those shifts aren’t budgeted and difficult to maintain with low staff, he said.
“The core problem is simple. The community risk is growing faster than our staffing can cover,” Jent said. “I’m asking for actions to close that gap.”
Jent explained the two-in/two-out rule in Michigan law that requires two firefighters to operate inside a building and two firefighters positioned outside, so they are capable of rescue.
However, first-arriving fire crews cannot begin interior offensive operations until a second crew arrives on scene to satisfy the requirement.
Jent wrote that the delay “affects survivability windows and operational effectiveness during the most critical minutes of an emergency response.”
“Seconds matter,” Jent told the board.
Two or three firefighters are insufficient to establish command, secure water, conduct search and rescue, perform forcible entry, conduct a fire attack and ensure scene safety, Jent said.
Calls for service in Grand Blanc Township rose approximately 56 percent from 2018 to 2024, Jent said.
Medical assistance, service calls and alarms account for approximately 48.5 percent of calls. Vehicle crashes account for 23 percent of calls. Hazardous conditions like gas leaks and downed wires account for 19 percent of calls and 8.5 percent of calls are structure fires.
Jent also called for the addition of a fire marshal, a fire inspector and an administrative secretary.
The township employs six full-time firefighters and 27 firefighters on a part-time basis.
They are responsible for 32.7 square miles and 40,056 people, based on the department’s 2024 year-end report.
In 2020, the fire department’s operation budget was approximately $1.33 million. It is proposed to increase to $2.55 million in 2026.
Officials also read through the 2024 tentative agreement labor contract with the firefighters union, which can be viewed here.
The chief was put on administrative leave in October after raising staffing concerns. After dozens of community members spoke in support of Jent, he was reinstated and returned to work on Monday, Nov. 3.
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