Expert to Study Sharing of Fire Services for Grosse Pointes

The Grosse Pointe Public Safety ad hoc committee is reviewing ways in which the five communities could provide fire services to residents in a more efficient manner—financially or physically. 

The committee will have Ray Riggs, a SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Committee of Govenrments) expert and retired West Bloomfield Assistant Fire Chief, evaluate fire services among all of the Pointes. He is to look for efficiencies the communities could capitalize on, according to the committee's spokesman Pete Dame, the 's manager. 

Everything related to fire service will be studied, with the exception of consolidation, according to a press release by Dame. Riggs is to review staffing, equipment, mutual aid agreements and more, according to the release. 

Riggs, who was a firefighter with West Bloomfield for 30 years, said he actually began working on such projects while still with the department. He helped work out a contract with Orchard Lake, Sylvan Lake and Keego Harbor in which West Bloomfield began providing fire and EMS service in those communities. 

He is also working with Hazel Park and Ferdale, where the cities are working to determine a fire authority to work together to serve both communities, Riggs said.

There is not necessarily a boiler plate checklist of areas to look to achieve better efficiency, Riggs said, noting much of what is reviewed in each community is based on the specific needs and level of service in that city.

One major area Riggs said will be reviewed specific to the Pointes is firefighter equipment, which is expensive. A pump rig, for example, can cost $300,000 to $500,000 and because of the cumulative size of the Pointes--about 10.8 square miles--Riggs said not every public safety department may need its own pump truck. This is one example and not a recommendation at this point. 

The committee hopes to receive the results of Riggs' review in October. Any recommendations will need the approval of the appropriate city council before being implemented. 

The study will qualify all of the Pointes to be eligible for state-revenue sharing, now called Economic Incentive Vitality Program—an initiative by Gov. Rick Snyder to encourage communities to seek consolidation and collaboration of services with neighboring communities to save money. This is part of his local government reform plan. 

This is the second initiative by the ad hoc committee, which released its That study found that while it would be ideal to consolidate all five now, it is not financially feasible. 

The recommendation was for the Pointes to seek consolidation individually among the communities with the ultimate long-term goal of complete consolidation.

As a result, two consolidations are likely.

The first is already under way with a project that is to take place by Sept. 1.

The second is still being evaluated in which the from , and .