HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A fire station in Oakland County was forced to close its doors Sunday afternoon. Highland Township's fire chief said truck maintenance issues prompted the closure.
Highland Township resident William Dillon lives right around the corner from fire station number two.
He told 7 News Detroit, “Driving by there, we noticed that there were no fire engines and then there were no trucks there for the firemen themselves. So, we wondered what was up."
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“When we had an incident here, they showed up in 91 seconds," he said. “They provide a valuable service."
Fire chief Nicholas George told 7 News Detroit that three out of four trucks were out of service due to various maintenance issues, including one that needs a module.
George said, “Ever since COVID, it’s been harder and harder and longer and longer to get parts and the quality doesn’t seem to be as well.”
He said Highland Township is fortunate since this is the first time this year the department has had to close either station.
7 News Detroit was there Monday afternoon as one truck came back in service, which allowed station number two to reopen.
The chief said departments often close a station for one of two reasons: failing equipment or not enough firefighters.
George said, “Right now, unfortunately, all the fire departments are competing with themselves for first responders because there’s a shortage of them out there.”
He said department funding isn’t keeping up with inflation. George shared an illustration of what he said equipment cost in 2020 compared to 2026. A full uniform and accessories were $6,000 then compared to roughly $22,000 now.
In the fight for funding, the department was recently awarded a federal grant for more than $700,000 to purchase breathing tanks.
Now, George is hoping voters consider passing a millage on the November ballot. It’s a renewal and an increase of .47 percent.
“That millage will be used primarily for retention of our staffing," George said.
“The hardest part is everybody’s frustrated that there’s so much different taxes in every different directions,” he reasoned.
It's a balancing act for voters.
Resident Cindy Sherwood said, “You’re looking at people on fixed incomes that are intelligent and frugal. So, there’s going to see what’s its been and how the assets have been spent and the finances.”
Dillon said, “The renewal I totally agree with. As far as the increase on that, I need to know more about that. This is the first I’ve heard that the trucks are down. It’s something that I guess that I’m going to have to look deeper into.
The chief said an information session is scheduled for 10 a.m – 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Highland Farmer’s Market. The address is 205 N. John Street.
