Plymouth, Northville Joint Fire Services Begin Sunday
Here's what you should know about the combined department.
Photos
What happens Jan. 1?
The City of Plymouth begins its joint fire operations with the City of Northville. The city will be ceasing its relationship with Plymouth Township's fire department. With the change comes a new fire hall for the Northville City Fire Department attached to Plymouth City Hall and the city's police department.
Why did the City of Plymouth leave its partnership with Plymouth Township?
Plymouth city officials cited financial factors as its reason for leaving its agreement with Plymouth Township. It decided to terminate its 14-year contract in October 2010 to save about $400,000 annually.
Who is in charge of the department?
The Northville City Fire Department is under the direction of Chief James Allen. According to the City of Northville website, Allen oversees 45 part-time, on-call firefighters and EMS personnel.A fire advisory board, consisting of elected and appointed officials from both cities, provides input into the operation of the department, according to the City of Northville website.
What are the certifications of these firefighters?
According to the City of Northville website, all personnel are certified by the state at the Firefighter I or II level and have EMS licenses from the state. The department will provide fire suppression and basic life support emergency medical services in the cities of Plymouth and Northville from its two stations.
Where are the department's two fire stations located?
There will be one fire department in Northville and one in Plymouth. The locations and contact information are as follows:
Station 1 - Headquarters:
215 W. Main St.
Northville, MI 48167
Phone: 248-449-9920
Fax: 248-449-9960
EMERGENCY: 911
Station 2:
201 S. Main Street
Plymouth, MI 48170
734-453-1234
Will the department still participate in mutual aid?
According to the City of Northville website:
The Fire Department is an active participant in the Western Wayne Fire Mutual Aid Association, whose members include the fire departments of Western Wayne County and Southwestern Oakland County. The Association sponsors a special operations group consisting of a hazardous materials response team and a technical rescue (USAR) team, and the Department contributes personnel to each team. The Department also participates in HEMS, Inc., the emergency medical control authority for Western Wayne County.
How does this new agreement affect the City of Plymouth?
The new agreement replaces the full-time firefighters of Plymouth Township with paid on-call firefighters. All firefighters are state-certified in fire suppression and basic life support.
According to Plymouth Mayor Dan Dwyer, he would not have supported any agreement that eliminated the ability to provide advanced life support (ALS) to all residents.
“I wouldn’t be OK with this if I wasn’t 100 percent sure of that," Dwyer said in February.
How does this new agreement affect Plymouth Township?
With the departure of the City of Plymouth from Plymouth Township's fire services, the township faces a nearly $1 million shortfall in 2012 and has made cuts to the department totaling 23 percent in this year's budget to compensate for the loss of the city's contribution.
The prospect of cuts to the department has prompted a grassroots effort by the Citizens Action Group of Plymouth Township to put a millage on the ballot that would levy a millage to maintain the same level of services for the reduced coverage area. The petitioners sought one mill for five years, but the actual number and duration would be set by the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees, per state law. The township's auditing firm, Plante Moran, estimated a necessary millage of 2.44 mills to fund full services and legacy costs, including benefits and pensions for retired employees. This number has been disputed by the citizens group.
The question will appear on the Feb. 28, 2012 ballot.
Beginning Jan. 1, Plymouth Township will stop responding to calls in the City of Plymouth, except where mutual aid is requested, according to a newsletter sent in April by the township. The department's coverage area is approximately 30 percent less without the city as part of its joint fire services.
Kevin Houle
11:19 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
So now the city of Plymouth is replacing full time Fire Fighters with on call Fire Fighters that hold full time jobs outside of Plymouth. A fire doubles in size every 30 seconds, with the Township Fire Fighters response time was under 3 minutes what are we looking at now 6 to ten minutes with two Fire Fighters and one truck. It is a shame the City of Plymouth builds up the Police department with 4 wheel drive suv's
and cut life saving personal like our Fire Fighters to save $400,000 but then again what's a life worth in the City of Plymouth. It's a shame police bring in revenue for the City through writing tickets and Fire Fighter only save Lifes,
RIGHT VS WRONG
11:43 am on Sunday, January 1, 2012
Time will tell, whether this new system, will provide the same response times/level of service to the residents of Plymouth City. And, what will HVA's "all runs" response time be with "ALS" service? It is hard to understand, how the city can "afford" $3,100,000 for its' "own" police department, but it can't afford $950,000 (saving $400,000/yr; or 14 cents/day/resident) for a "shared" fire department. What could the "City" have saved it's taxpayers if they were to combine "police departments" with the City of Northville, or Wayne County Sheriff Department?
Nancy Janoch
4:16 pm on Sunday, January 1, 2012
I agree with all 3 comments. And the fact that many of our structures in the City are old (mine turned 100 years old this year)....they will literally go up in smoke before anyone gets here. It is so sad that it's just the politics of this "old boys club" fight between the City and the Township can be carried this far at the expense of the citizens. We have no business being a City & a Twonship based on our population and should have merged long ago into one community. Look at Canton as an example and it's very visible what we are doing wrong here in Plymouth. Get it together guys!
RIGHT VS WRONG
5:14 pm on Sunday, January 1, 2012
NUFFSAID
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS RE; COMBINING THE POLICE DEPTS? OR FOR THAT MATTER, ALL OF THE TWP/CITY SERVICES/ADMINISTRATIONS? WE COULD SAVE A LOT OF MONEY. THE POWER "BROKERS" WANT TO MAINTAIN THEIR CONTROL OVER THEIR "POLICE CHIEF/DEPT" IT'S ALL A MATTER OF "CONTROL"
Rachel
10:52 am on Monday, January 2, 2012
Each time the township firefighters decided to transport patients to hospitals instead of letting Huron Valley put the community in danger in that those firefighters were not available to cover a station or a fire. When the township had part-paid firefighters on staff for years there was no problem, no outcry. But now that the City of Northville takes over the city contract, and it's all of a sudden a problem? The township firefighters are such hypocrites and got everything they deserved.
Voice of Reason
1:19 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Nuffsaid, I've heard the claim about Plymouth Twp FF's arriving late to a fire before.
That type of thing can not happen.
Can you give some specifics about how or when it occurred?
john clark
7:41 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
A year ago firefighters told us a fire doubles in size every minute. So what is it 30 seconds or a minute? Again, more propaganda from the IFFA. Canton, Northville Township, Westland, and Livonia FD have been putting out city fires for years. Let's give the City of Northville a go at it. And I think the 3 minute response time is a stretch, one of my neighbors lost his house several years ago and not only did they not arrive in 3 minutes, but they stood around and watched it burn for several minutes before putting a drop of water on it. Who wants to pay over a million dollars for basement savers?
mike
10:14 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
I have to say you guys have peeked my interest with this debate. So I borrowed my friends scanner to listen to the new city fire department. At first I didnt know the standard is response time. But after listening it seemed that base 17 was northville city and plymouth city. I have to say it was taking northville and plymouth city considerable amount of time to get to a scene than any other fire department. I dont care if its a fire or a medical. It should be a quick response. I would rather have fireman in the station than waiting at home. The plymouth city residents are not getting what they paid for.
Uncle Buck
11:20 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
I'm a city resident who is on the fence about whether going to a paid-on-call department is a smart move. First, is Northville keeping a duty crew at the Plymouth station? Second, are there 4 guys on that duty crew? Firefighters cannot enter a structure unless the 2 men in-2 men out rule is being met. Also, while I like that HVA can take me to a hospital other than St Mary's and probably see alot more patients on average than PCFD, I wonder what they're going to do now that the safety net of PCFD's ambulances are no longer responding in the city. Alot remains to be seen. Glad that I'm in reasonably good health and am slightly obsessive-compulsive about eliminating fire threats in my house.