Second of a two-part series looking at a county-funded study and the potential for resulting changes in the years ahead.

The Northwest Oakland County Fire Collaboration Feasibility Study plan, involving Springfield, Groveland, Rose and Holly Townships, along with the Village of Holly, was divided into two phases.
Phase I involves an increase in regional collaboration and sets the following goals that can be accomplished in a relatively short time’about 18 to 36 months, and without significant cost or fundamental changes to the structure any departments.
Automatic mutual aid: Departments would develop a predetermined pecking order so when a call goes out for fire services all departments arrive on the scene with necessary manpower and equipment, rather than one department calling for backup. Currently, this is done on a county level with hazmat incidents.
Increased standardization between existing departments: Communities would look for ways to streamline local departments through shared development of training programs, equipment specifications, and human resource practice and procedures.
Joint-purchasing arrangements: As a logical outgrowth of standardization, departments could begin utilizing the same equipment and supplies to create a potential for volume discounting.
‘There is some potential savings in equipment,? Rose Township Supervisor Chester Koop told the group gathered in Springfield Township for the Feb 26 presentation. ‘Maybe not great at the beginning?$3,000 to $6,000 per department’but it doesn’t really cost anything to come up with standard procedures.?
Potential savings could also be realized by devising a plan for shared community outreach and education resources, such as smokehouses, he said.
But Springfield Township Fire Chief Charles Oaks said his department has been sharing resources with its neighbors for quite some time.
‘Springfield Township, Groveland and Holly Village, we try to work together right now,? he said. ‘For instance, most of us can’t afford to put on our own fire classes’the fire academy through Oakland Community College costs about $3,000. Departments like Groveland and Highland put on the academy and we can do it for six or seven hundred.?
Oaks said he was also uncertain about joint purchasing, noting he is currently able to buy medical supplies independently at a better price than he gets through Oakland County’s supplier.
‘I still think it’s out there in left field, whether we could save money by doing that,? he said. ‘Same as if you go buy a fire truck’if you buy two fire trucks verses one I don’t know if you’d have any savings.?
Still, Oaks said his main concern was saving taxpayer money, and was willing to look at all the options.
‘Phase I is a good thing, and we need to go into anything like this with open eyes,? he said.
‘If you don’t look at it and just close your eyes and say ‘this isn’t going to work,? then why mess with it? I think we’re going in with open eyes’at least I’m pretty sure Springfield Township is.?
Oaks said his support of Phase II would depend on decisions ultimately made by the Springfield Township board.
While Phase I was developed as a stand-alone approach, information gathered during the initial collaboration process could give direction and help pave a smoother transition to Phase II.
Facilitators made it clear that participation in Phase I does not require a community to move forward with Phase II, a full consolidation of all departments.
Key elements of Phase II include consolidated operation, fire department-based ALS service, consistent service levels across the region, utilization of existing equipment, six stations with 24-hour staffing seven days a week, and improved response time.
Consolidating fire departments would also include cutting command staff to one fire chief, one deputy fire chief, and one fire marshal.
However, a consolidated department would increase the number of fulltime firefighters’currently, nine fulltime firefighters are employed between the five communities.
If Phase II were implemented, that number would double to 18, while the number of paid-on call firefighters would increase to 132.
Recruiting paid-on call firefighters is an issue each of the communities struggles with, at least from time to time.
Springfield Township’s department consists of three fulltime employees’chief Charles Oaks and two firefighters, along with 31 paid-on call personnel.
Oaks, who’s been heading up the department for the last 10 years, said the lack of paid-on call firefighters is cyclical.
‘A year or so ago I was getting no applications and nobody wanted on,? he said. ‘I thought ‘man, this is doomsday.? But now, all of a sudden, I’ve got people coming out of the woodwork.?
The larger problem, he said, is retaining the firefighters’most are looking for fulltime positions once they’re trained.
‘Little departments like Springfield Township, Groveland, Holly’we don’t have that many full time positions,? he said.
‘So you train them and then you lose them. I’ve lost at least two to Independence Township, one to Bloomfield. Real good firefighters come in looking for full time positions and they’re going to go where they can get them.?
Sometimes, he said, it’s difficult to retain fulltime personnel because the larger departments pay larger wages.
Full consolidation of the departments, it was said, would create a more attractive employer in the region.
‘If you have more fulltime positions available it would help retain the paid-on call guys,? said Oaks. ‘I hire full time firefighters from my part time roster, so they might stay on longer hoping they were going to get fulltime position.?
One of the largest drawbacks of consolidation, however, were financial uncertainties.
Across the board, study results indicated an increase of $800,000 in operating costs on one hand, and an ISO rating reduction resulting in fire insurance savings of $1.8 million annually.
‘The hardest bullet and most discussion came from ISO reduction, and it’s kind of hard to understand,? said Groveland Township Fire Chief Steve McGee, noting His community recently made changes to reduce ISO ratings. ‘It’s going to cost some money to do but the long term benefit was savings to residents every year.?
Although some officials were enthusiastic about going forward and others had significantly questions and concerns about full consolidation, representatives from Plante and Moran urged the communities to take one thing at a time and keep the focus’for now, on Phase I.
Springfield Township Supervisor Collin Walls agreed, noting that the only way to determine how and when to enter into Phase II’s plan for full consolidation was to gather information during Phase I.
‘I don’t necessarily have the same faith in all the assumptions in Phase II of this report that some do but I have faith in us working together,? he said. ‘I also know that if we don’t, we probably won’t be working individually because we can’t do business the way we used to. Collaboration and cooperation is taking place all over the state of Michigan and all over the nation because it’s a new world.?
Leaders from each community were charged with returning to their respective boards with a resolution to move forward. In Springfield Township, most board members attended the presentation. The item was placed on the March 13 consent agenda and passed without comment.
Curious? The 89-page report created by Plante and Moran can be found on Oakland County’s website at oakgov.com. From the homepage, navigate to Browse Oakland County, cross boundary services, interact, download templates, reports, Northwest Oakland County Fire Collaboration Feasibility Study.