Resident urges urgent attention to fire stations and response times; commissioners say public-safety committee will meet

A Bay City resident told the commission Monday that deteriorating fire stations and limited staffing threaten emergency response times, and she urged commissioners to find immediate funding and reopen closed stations.

Jill Cosley, who identified herself as a resident at 208 West Smith Street, said Station 5’s closure and conditions at other stations reduce response capacity in the northwest Banks area. "Response time matters," she said. Cosley described blocked roads and railroad crossings that can delay mutual-aid responses and recounted a recent incident where response times were lifesaving when the station had been open.

Why it matters: Cosley and other residents said response-time differences of minutes can be the difference between life and death in cardiac or stroke situations. She urged the commission to assemble a public-safety infrastructure committee and to find pooled funds or grants to repair and staff stations. "We need enough firefighters to man them," she said.

Commission reaction and next steps: Commissioners and the mayor responded by noting they were waiting on the city survey results and would prioritize public-safety infrastructure scheduling. Commissioner Renberg moved to grant the speaker two extra minutes during public comment; Commissioner DeWitt seconded. City staff said the public-safety committee meeting will be scheduled in the coming weeks once staff return to the office to coordinate, and the mayor said reopening stations would be a legacy priority for him while he is in office.

Ending: Cosley asked commissioners to find funding and to convene the public-safety committee promptly. Staff said they had requested time to set the meeting and would provide dates to commissioners.