City of Alpena offers Alpena Township Fire Department options
ALPENA, Mich. – The Alpena Township Board of Trustees is still looking at options to save the fire department and the City of Alpena may be able to help.
Alpena Township Fire Chief Dave Robbins is still looking ahead.
“From indeed, from that reposting we’ve received approximately 14 applications,” said Robbins. “I weeded those out to minimally qualified people came out to about eight.”
Hiring is ongoing, but other alternatives are still on the table.
Recently, the City of Alpena who’s been contracting its fire and EMS services to the township offered a few options to help.
Option one : Alpena Fire runs operations at both township stations. Option 2: The city extends its contract to the township’s North Station another 6 months.
The original contract expires July 1st, and option 3– is having the city help rebuild the township’s fire department– utilizing paid on–call responders
“We have some questions about more detail; I think we need to ask those questions and figure out the details to do a comparison,” said Alpena Township Treasure Laura Ellery-Somers.
Alpena Township Supervisor Nathan Skibbe said while these options all have different pros, cons and costs, it’s the residents that are the priority.
“From day one, we want to provide our citizens with the best service possible and to do so if possible within the means of the millage that are provided,”
said Skibbe.
The township also has a list of solutions of their own which include, a hybrid fire agreement, contracting for services or disbandment.
