Two new full-time firefighters and a leased ambulance are expected to provide better emergency service for Springfield Township residents in 2004.
The township board on Thursday, Nov. 13 approved a request from Fire Chief Charlie Oaks to seek the additional staff, and officials are in negotiations with American Medical Response for an ambulance to be housed at one of the two township fire stations.
Oaks said the 32-member paid-on-call fire department has faced some of the same challenges with covering the day shift as other departments. In times past, there have been second-shift factory workers or downtown Davisburg business employees who could be available for emergency service, but there are fewer of those these days.
“That’s why we went to this, trying to cover the critical time of day when there’s very limited personnel that respond,” Oaks said.
The plan is to have one full-time person at each of the township’s two fire stations. At present, Oaks is the only full-time fire department employee, and the budget currently allows for full-time equivalent coverage of one day shift with part-time firefighters.
The 2004 budget calls for salaries of $27,040 for each full-time firefighter. Minimum qualifications will include state-certified Firefighter I and II training, emergency medical technician certification and willingness to earn certification in hazardous materials operation.
While the new positions will be posted publicly, Oaks anticipates that some current paid-on-call personnel may apply for the full-time positions.
In addition to providing faster response to fire runs, the addition of an ambulance would allow fire department EMTs (which currently include more than half the department) to provide “basic life support” transport in situations where private ambulances are too far away.
“Ambulance service takes so long to come right now,” Oaks said, with no permanent ambulance bases in the township. “It’s coming so far.”
Because of mutual aid agreements, Oaks does not know of a situation in which an ambulance has not been available, but medical professionals continue to be concerned about the time it takes to transport major trauma cases to a hospital.
“I’m worried to the point where they might say there isn’t anything available,” he said. “It hasn’t happened yet.”
If a suitable contract can be signed (the issue is expected to be on the December township board agenda), an AMR ambulance will be housed at a township fire station and will be staffed by fire department EMTs as necessary. The EMTs may also “intercept” a paramedic enroute to a hospital when deemed necessary.
“The only way we’re going to be transporting is when it’s a ‘have-to’ situation, if we can’t get an ambulance in a real reasonable time,” Oaks said.
In such cases, officials expect AMR to bill patients (or their health coverage companies) for the transport and reimburse the township for fire department staff time.
Several weeks ago, local resident Kelly Bridgewater asked township officials to work for major expansion of the fire department’s emergency medical service, providing statistics from other rural communities in Oakland County. Oaks said that information was helpful, but officials had already begun their planning for the next budget year.
“This is something we were working on anyway,” he said, crediting Bridgewater with providing “a lot of good information” for board members. “She was basically trying to help.”
The Springfield Township Fire Department operates on a 1 mill tax levy (which has been affected by Headlee Amendment rollbacks). Oaks said there is currently no fire department-related debt, and two new fire engines have been purchased in the last two years.
Oaks said the township board is generally responsive to his suggestions, but the former trustee knows the realities of balancing budgets.
“I can’t walk up to the Springfield Township Board and say ‘I want’ something,” he said. “But if you walk up to the board and say ‘I need’ and give them a reason why, I have not been turned down for anything I’ve asked. But I know we are limited to a budget.”
Because of growth along the Dixie Highway corridor, Oaks sees the next big financial project being an addition to fire station #2. A lease agreement has been reached with the Road Commission for Oakland County for part of the property at their maintenance garage, and officials are in the “early stages” of discussion with architects, he said.
Further in the future, a third fire station may be built on township-owned property at Andersonville and Farley roads.
In almost 30 years on the fire department, Oaks has seen the growth and development of Springfield Township and, while not as developed as Independence Township, the community has more residents who desire country living and urban services.
“People are starting to expect more and more,” he said.