Critical Firefighter Shortage Puts Residents at Risk
Has the time come for Plymouth Township residents to increase Fire Department staffing levels? Your rank-and-file firefighters believe so. In recent weeks, our local firefighters have become more vocal in their desire to see staffing levels increase to match the apparatus (vehicles) the Township owns. What do they mean? Simply put, they want to see a two-person team staff each ambulance and fire engine the community has. This is a similar staffing method used by multiple local communities.
Currently, our fire department has 6-8 people across three stations on staff per shift (two to three people per station). As such, our firefighters, who also provide paramedic responses, are forced to juggle between fire engines or ambulances based on the call that comes in. The volume of calls sometimes leaves the Township 100 percent reliant on mutual aid from other communities, which are only as dependable as the call volume in their community. Plymouth Township's services border on outsourcing its care to others!
Likewise, our first responders have expressed concern about the continuity of care our residents receive when transferring care from themselves to Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA), a private ambulance provider whose reliability has recently been questioned. There are numerous reports of HVA being late to calls, responding from far distances, or not showing an all. Why does this matter? On nearly every call received, our local first responders are first to arrive on the scene and immediately begin to administer care. When HVA arrives, if at all, the Plymouth Township Fire Department must relay all patient vitals and critical care information to HVA rather than continue care and transport the patient themselves. Is this an unnecessary delay, or does this put patients at risk? Our first responders believe it does!
Is this a new issue for Plymouth Township? History proves it is not. Former Plymouth Township Fire Department Chiefs Wendel and Phillps and current Chief Conley are all on record, stating staffing issues within the Plymouth Township Fire Department need to be addressed. While the current staffing level sits at twenty-four people, it's a long-standing issue that Plymouth Township Fire Department levels should be at 33 staff members minimally. Anything less leaves the taxpaying residents of Plymouth Township critically at risk!
Sources familiar with the subject report Supervisor Curmi has ignored four emails from the firefighters union trying to address their concerns.
People for Plymouth will continue to monitor this developing situation and inform the community as more becomes available.
