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Consultants say Sterling Heights fire/EMS broadly strong but recommend more staff, mobile health and prevention upgrades
Summary
A Center for Public Safety Management assessment praised Sterling Heights Fire Department’s culture and ISO standing but recommended staffing increases, a mobile integrated health program, improved fire prevention inspection systems and hydrant testing to maintain performance and reduce overtime.
A consultant-led community risk assessment and standards-of-cover review found Sterling Heights’ fire and emergency medical services to be well-managed but identified several operational gaps that could affect resiliency and response times.
The assessment, presented by Joseph Pozo of the Center For Public Safety Management, said Sterling Heights ranks in the top 2 percent in Michigan on ISO ratings and praised station culture and training. Still, the report flagged longer-than-benchmark turnout and travel times, uneven fire prevention inspection coverage, and the reliance on overtime for minimum staffing.
Pozo and Fire Chief Edmonds told council the department runs roughly 47 calls a day (about 17,000 calls over a three‑year period) and more than 28,000 unit runs because many incidents require multiple apparatus. The consultants recommended the city consider the equivalent of roughly 7½ additional staffed positions per day to reduce recurring overtime, implement a mobile integrated health (MIH) program to navigate frequent users to appropriate services, expand automatic aid agreements, invest in software to track inspection obligations, and increase hydrant inspection/testing to improve the ISO score toward a potential Class 1 rating.
Council members pressed on cost and timing. Councilmember Yanes asked whether the staffing shortfall could be covered entirely with overtime; Pozo explained overtime can fill gaps but that steady minimum staffing requires planned hires or a budgeted staffing strategy. In response to questions about frequent EMS callers, Pozo and Chief Edmonds explained MIH and community paramedicine focus on “super‑users” — people who call repeatedly — and on connecting them to long‑term medical, social and transportation resources rather than expecting immediate reductions in calls.
City management and the consultant also recommended targeting fire prevention workload with new GIS and permitting integrations, better remote inspection protocols, and more automatic aid agreements so neighboring ladder and engine companies are built into response run cards rather than summoned case‑by‑case. The presentation concluded with implementation steps and a suggestion to review staffing and overtime annually during the budget process.
Ending: The report will inform upcoming budget planning and staffing discussions; councilors asked staff to return with more detailed cost estimates and options for phasing any hiring and equipment changes.
