Sterling Heights Fire Department outlines Station 5 remodel, EMS changes and vehicle replacements in budget workshop

Fire Chief Kevin Edmonds told the Sterling Heights City Council at a budget workshop that the fire department is seeking several capital and operational changes in fiscal 2025–26, including a planned renovation of Fire Station 5, a quick-response vehicle (QRV), continued apparatus replacement and a shift in how emergency medical calls are dispatched and staffed.

Edmonds said the department has completed a strategic plan and a standard-of-cover review that drives the projects now under way. “We have a vision and a strategic plan which will chart the course for a more sustainable, effective, and efficient delivery of service,” Edmonds said.

The chief described the Station 5 concept as an addition and interior remodel to correct aging living quarters and add modern features now standard in the industry: dedicated decontamination spaces, laundry/extractor capacity, sealed “clean cab” storage for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), individual bunk rooms and expanded fitness and locker areas. Edmonds said the design will introduce a decon flow from apparatus bay into a wash/laundry area and then into gear storage, and that Station 5 renovations are intended to be the last station remodeled as the city updates safety standards across all five buildings.

Why it matters: Council members…