Residents of Royal Oak,

This letter is in response to the recent changes made to the fire service in Royal Oak. This letter is the collective opinion of the past 5 fire chiefs, and represents 34 years of administrative and operational experience. The catalyst which fueled this editorial is the recent reduction in daily minimum staffing within the Royal Oak Fire Department, and the resulting closure of Rescue Co. 93 (at Sta #3, 3128 Rochester Rd.) on many days.

Budget constraints are a fact of life in every municipality across the state, and across the nation. Layoffs, station closures, and reductions in manpower (both daily and total), are prevalent throughout the fire service. While city leaders struggle to balance their budgets, citizen safety is being jeopardized as part of the process. In Royal Oak, the fire service has been studied and scrutinized more than any other department. The Fire Service Delivery Committee studied the fire department in 2004, city officials contracted the Roemer group in 2004 to study and recommend staffing levels, and most recently the city participated in a 3 year study to determine the feasibility of forming a fire authority with surrounding communities Hazel Park, Ferndale, Madison Heights, and Pleasant Ridge. In 1994, the city formed a committee to study the feasibility of providing advanced life support for it’s citizens. The committee found that the fire department could provide a faster response at a lesser cost to its citizens. The recent changes in department staffing are effectively undermining decades of progress in providing quality, efficient protection. What follows is a short history of Royal Oak’s fire service through the eyes of its last 5 leaders, men with expertise in providing Fire/EMS protection in

When Chief Nancarrow and Chief Crouch were in command (1976-1996), the fire department responded to both fire and ems runs much as it does today. The primary differences were the level of training of the responders, and the method of transport to the hospital. Firefighters back then were trained to either first responder or Basic EMT levels, and private ambulance companies transported the patients to the hospital if necessary. In the early 1990’s, under Chief Crouch, it became apparent to fire department members, as well as to members of the City Commission, that there was a better way to provide this service. The theory was simple, raise the level of training for firefighters to the paramedic level and provide ambulance transport to the hospital. This method would prevent delays in transport time for critical patients, and the revenue collected, mostly from Medicare and insurance companies, for the transport would pay for the costs of the

service. The city commission formed a study committee to determine the merits of advanced life support with transportation. A lengthy, detailed study of EMS and ambulance systems and methods of operation, found that implementation of the added services would be of significant benefit to Royal Oak Citizens, and that it would more than pay for the improvements in service delivery. No additional firefighters were hired to provide this service. Three ambulances were purchased, one for each active station. The minimum daily staffing level was raised from 16 per day to 18. The Royal Oak Fire Department had 71 full time staff and line positions when the ALS service went online in 1995.

This model has been in place through the terms of Chiefs Crouch, Stanford, Strehlke, and White. Along the way, voters passed a millage to fund renovations or replacement of all three fire stations as well as fire trucks. The fire department has also expanded its response capability over the years to include hazardous materials and technical rescues such as high angle or trench rescue. With the increased responsibilities, came increasing calls for service. In 1976, under Chief Nancarrow, the fire department responded to 1819 alarms. In 2009, under Chief White, the department responded to 5173 alarms. In addition, the ambulance service generated about a million dollars in revenue. Under the proposed cuts, this revenue will be lost to the City, and provided to private ambulance companies who will charge Royal Oak residents significantly higher transport rates.

All contributing members to this letter are very familiar with the constraints budget considerations place upon departmental operations. It has always been a challenge to balance the need for service with the need to remain within the framework of the city budget. However, the recent manning changes, and the resulting closure of Ambulance Co. 93 is very disturbing. This budgetary tactic will result in slower response times for EMS incidents in the northeast portion of the city (Ambulance 93’s response area). While all citizens will pay the same taxes, clearly not all will get the same service. Perhaps the most inflammatory aspect of this reduction, is the fact that city officials place Ambulance 93 back in service as well as a backup ambulance for special events like the Dream Cruise or Arts, Beats, and Eats. While it is understandable to want extra coverage when large amounts of visitors are expected within the city, it is clear that Royal Oak residents will be paying for a higher level of protection for visitors than they themselves receive.

The City Commission will be voting to privatize ambulance service at the October 4th commission meeting. If adopted, the result will be no more than passing the cost of the service on to the citizens while the revenue from ambulance transport is lost. Taxes will not be reduced to reflect this reduction in service, and the layoffs of ten firefighters in September and October will impact the ISO rating within the city- driving insurance costs up for business owners and homeowners. Following the layoffs, the fire department will be reduced to 45 members…26 employees BELOW the level agreed upon at the inception of the program. These staffing cuts exceed the recommendations of every study the city has ever had for its fire department. The paramedics who ride the ambulances are already cross-staffed onto the fire engines. Cutting personnel for the ambulance companies will reduce the firefighting capabilities of the department, not just the ambulance service. We ask that you attend the next commission meeting, and tell them to stop these reductions before it’s too late.

Retired Royal Oak Chief Ronald Nancarrow

Retired Royal Oak Chief William Crouch

Retired Royal Oak Chief Don Stanford

Retired Royal Oak Chief Richard Strehlke

Retired Royal Oak Chief Will White